All Grown Up
by ionlycamefortacos
Summary: Uraraka finds herself finally moving to Tokyo three years after high school. Her relationship with Deku falls on the rocks while she adjusts to her new job and reconnects with her old high school friends. Bakugo is settled into his routine, but Kirishima isn't going to give up on finding him a lady. Could love really be so simple? (KACCHAKO)
1. Chapter 1

Uraraka had thought that life after high school would be easy. She and Deku had gotten together after graduation and she had been so excited to start their life together. She almost kicked her former self at her naivety.

They had remained in the city where they went to school so that Deku could be closer to All-Might as he progressed. She'd been the supportive girlfriend, agreeing to stay despite all of her friends moving to Tokyo and joining prestigious hero agencies. She was willing to put her future on hold for him while he worked hard to achieve his goals.

She was working for a small agency and had been for a while. The crime was slow, so her job basically consisted of her walking laps around the city. It was boring work that didn't pay what she would like. She mentally kicked herself again for her unappreciation.

It was hard to stay in touch with everyone from high school. They were all working so hard in Tokyo and they were always too busy for her. She'd come to accept it, but it still bothered her. But she had Deku right? They were happy and Deku was getting so much stronger.

She wouldn't say she was jealous of his strength, but she certainly felt like she was falling far behind him now. While he worked late, she was getting in long hours at the gym and trying not to lose another edge. It was exhausting for both of them and by the time they'd get home in the evening, it was too tiring to stay up and hang out.

She wiped a towel over her damp hair. She was getting ready to finally leave work after she'd worked out in the gym and taken a much needed shower. She was thinking about dinner as she exited the locker room, but her boss's voice drew her away from her thoughts.

"Hey Uravity," A female voice called from behind her. "Hold up for a second."

She turned around to see a familiar face hurrying down the corridor. "Oh hey, Bombshell. What's up?"

The beautiful hero standing before her smiled as she came to a stop. Uraraka's boss was a spritely blonde with gorgeous features and a blessing for a chest. Uraraka wasn't blind to the fact that her hero name had a double meaning to it. Bombshell's quirk allowed her to see a hero's insecurities and literally drop a truth bomb on them. It worked marvelously for their team and Uravity liked working for her as they had a lot of similarities in the way they fight.

"I was hoping you could spare a few minutes if you're not in a hurry," Bombshell started walking beside her. "I wanted to talk to you about a position opening up in Tokyo."

"In Tokyo?" Uraraka blinked and shook her head, "We've been over this before, Bombshell. You know I can't take a job out there."

"No," Bombshell started, "This one is one I don't think you will want to turn down. You're always saying you want more combat, so when I saw that the best agency for that had a position opening up, I thought of you."

Uraraka smiled sweetly with a tone of sadness at her superior, "I really appreciate it, but you know how it is. Deku and I will move to Tokyo eventually."

Bombshell rolled her eyes, "Come onnn, Uravity. You know just as well as I do that Deku isn't going to move away from here anytime soon. You're wasting your best years here! Deku doesn't even work in this city anyway, he travels around for work. It's costing you."

Uraraka shrugged sadly, knowing that her boss was speaking the truth. "I don't know, I just don't think that Deku will take that very well."

"Well too bad," Bombshell patted the brunette on the shoulder, "I applied for it on your behalf. They would love to give you an interview. Your stats said it all and they would love to help you get your career really going again."

Uraraka felt a rush of excitement but she immediately stamped it down, "Why on earth would you do that? It puts me in a really hard position."

"Because if someone didn't do it for you, you'd never do it yourself." Bombshell smiled comfortingly at Uraraka. "Maybe just talk to Deku about it. You shouldn't have to wait around forever, you know."

Uraraka knew that her boss was right. Bombshell knew her insecurities, thanks to her quirk, and had always pestered her to get out of dodge and move to Tokyo. She knew her boss was being sweet and was trying to help, but her relationship with Deku made those things difficult.

She knew she was wasting time and had been since they got out of high school three years ago, so Uraraka forced the thoughts out of her mind. It broke her heart whenever she saw Deku's face when she brought up the thought of her moving to Tokyo ahead of him. It was certainly out of the question.

When she got home later that night, she was surprised that Deku was home. Usually she wouldn't see him for another two hours and by then she'd already be in bed. When she walked into their apartment, she immediately noticed him sitting on the couch playing a game on his phone.

He heard her come in and turned to grin at her, "Hey! How was your day?"

"It was good," Uraraka started and dropped her bag on the couch to sit next to him. "What are you doing home so early?"

Deku looked away from her, "I actually wanted to talk to you about something, so I left early."

He wouldn't meet her gaze and she noted that it was strange. Something was up. "What's going on?" She was afraid to ask.

"Well…" He tucked his phone under his leg nervously, "I sort of got an offer today."

"Really?" Uraraka smiled excitedly, "An offer in Tokyo?"

Deku kept his gaze from meeting hers, "Actually no… Not in Tokyo."

The brunette tilted her head curiously at him, "Okay… So where then?" She was starting to feel nervous about his lack of eye contact.

"Uh," He sighed and forced himself to look at her. He could feel her anxiety as he took her hands into his. "It's in America. A city called New York. One of the agencies there wants me to come and help them out for a year or so. I guess the crime there has been getting out of control."

"Oh…" Uraraka felt her stomach drop. "In America? Wow… I don't know what to say."

"All-Might thinks I should do it." Deku sputtered out, rubbing his hands awkwardly over hers. "I agree with him. It would be a really good job and it would really help me get stronger."

Uraraka looked away from him and down at their hands. America? What did that mean?

"Look," He started again, gulping down an awkward lump, "I totally get it if you don't want to come with me. That's a long way away from here and I know you'd really miss your parents. But I wanted to ask you how you felt about it before I make my decision."

This was almost too much information to take in for Uraraka. "Okay well, when would you leave?"

"Soon," He replied softly. "Probably within the next two weeks."

She sighed and closed her eyes, "This is all very fast, Deku."

"I know," He gripped her hands tighter. "So if you don't want me to go, then just tell me and I won't."

She breathed a frustrated sigh before forcing a smile on her face, "No, I think you should go. If it will help you get stronger, then I don't see why not." She met his gaze and blinked away tears that she hoped would not surface.

He gazed at her, surprised at her acceptance, "Alright… I thought this would be much harder."

She glanced around the room, trying to keep her composure. "It's fine. Bombshell offered me a position in Tokyo today, so maybe I can do that while you're gone."

"So you won't come with me?" He responded with a hint of sadness.

"I can't," She replied, "My family needs me close by and honestly," She looked for the best way to put it, "I don't want to live in America. It's too far away."

Deku looked disappointed, "So you'd move to Tokyo then?"

She shrugged, "It's a great opportunity. I would be an idiot to turn it down if you're leaving anyway."

"Would we stay together?" He asked hopefully. "We could make it work, right? Even if it was just for a year."

"Of course," Uraraka smiled sadly, "We can make it work."

"Okay," Deku replied softly.

Neither one of them knew where to take the conversation from there. The air was thick with awkward tension after that, so they just sat in silence to ponder over their decision. Perhaps they'd made it too fast without weighing all the options. Maybe she should move with him. It would be so difficult to stay together when they were thousands of miles apart. But she figured they were strong, so they could get through it.

The next two weeks flew by in the blink of an eye. Both of them had quit their jobs while they found her a place in Tokyo and began to divide their stuff for their moves. Their trip into the big city had been a fleeting two days as she both moved in all her things and interviewed for the job.

Before she knew it, she was bidding him a tearful goodbye at the airport.

"I promise to call every day," He comforted her softly as she hugged him.

"You better," She tried to sound light hearted. "I'm going to miss you."

"I'll miss you too," He squeezed her tighter. "It's not forever, right? We can get through this."

She nodded tearfully as he released her and grabbed his bag. He gave her a quick kiss before he turned to board the plane. "I love you, Uraraka."

She choked on her sob, "I love you too!"

* * *

It was any old day for Bakugo as he entered the office. He ignored all the idiots around him and headed straight for the locker room. He was itching to get out in the field because his entire morning had been nothing but an annoying shit show.

First, the line at the coffee shop was so damn long that he had decided against it. Second, the morning traffic was making him late. And finally, everyone in the office seemed so fuckin' cheery this morning and that annoyed him the most.

Kirishima noticed the hot-headed blonde storming down the hall of the office and decided to chase him down. "Oy, Bakugo!"

Bakugo grit his teeth and ignored the red-head. Hopefully he wouldn't be chased.

"Slow down, man!"

No, he was definitely being chased. "The fuck do you want? I'm not in the mood." Bakugo grumbled and continued his tirade toward the locker rooms.

Kirishima jogged up and matched Bakugo's pace, "I just was wondering if you wanted to grab a drink after work."

Bakugo opened his mouth to turn Kirishima down but what rudely interrupted.

"I know you don't have plans, so you can't say no." Kirishima smiled smugly.

Bakugo resisted the urge to punch that shithead right on the spot. "No way."

Kirishima elbowed the blonde playfully, "I will not shut up about it until you agree, so it's up to you."

Bakugo was certainly not in the mood for Kirishima's shit, but he knew that the shithead was serious about not shutting up about it. "Fuck, fine. Now leave me the hell alone."

Kirishima stopped and allowed Bakugo to continue storming toward the locker room. "I'll see you there at six!"

Bakugo ignored the red-headed menace and turned a corner. Just as he did so, he was met with a familiar face.

"Bakugo?" Her sweet voice sounded surprised.

He stopped and blinked at the newcomer. He definitely knew her. He would recognize that round face anywhere, yet she looked different. She'd slimmed out but still looked strong. Her cheeks were still puffy, but not in a juvenile way anymore. The expression she wore was surprised.

"Who the fuck are you?" He asked bluntly, hoping it would give him an out from the conversation.

Immediately, her eyelids dropped halfway in a look of unamusement. "You can't be serious." Her hands locked onto her hips as if to say, ' _Seriously?'_

Bakugo gave her an unimpressed gaze, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"So you do remember me," She smiled, "Why would you even say something like that?"

"You know what," Bakugo turned his attention away from her, "I really don't care. See you around."

He began walking away but heard her call from behind. "I just started working here, so you better get used to me!"

Bakugo tensed at her words. If she was working here now, then that means that Deku was probably in town too. Fuck, he thought he'd finally rid himself of that little bottom feeder for good. If his mood was shit before, then it was somehow even worse now.

Sparks ignited in his palms as he fought to keep his annoyance under wraps. Soon enough he'd be out beating up some villain and he was sure he'd feel better after that.

His day after that went normally. He intentionally avoided everyone else in hopes of not running into round-face again. The last thing he wanted to hear about was how great she and Deku were doing. It was really grinding on his last nerve as he exited the office and headed toward the bar.

The moment he walked in, he saw Kirishima was sitting at a high table next to the window. He rolled his eyes at Kirishima's excited wave while he sauntered over.

"It's been a while since we got a drink together, eh Bakugo?" Kirishima teased as the blonde sat down. "I ordered you a beer."

"Quit acting like a fuckin' girl, shithead," Bakugo snapped as he settled into his seat. "I can order my own damn drink."

"Oooo," Kirishima cooed, "What crawled up your ass today?" He tapped his chin thoughtfully, "Let me guess, you ran into an old classmate, right?"

Bakugo wanted to punch Kirishima before the words ever even left the red-head's mouth. "Can it."

"It's weird seeing her, you know?" Kirishima grinned boyishly, "It's been what, three years?"

"Fuck if I care," Bakugo spat as their drinks were dropped off by the waitress. He sipped the bitter drink and ignored the guy opposite of him.

Kirishima grinned even wider, "Yeah, everyone is wondering if she and Midoriya are over with now."

Bakugo's ears perked up, "What, did she finally fuckin' snap out of it and dump his ass?"

"I thought you didn't care," Kirishima pried, taking a swig of his drink without breaking his toothy grin.

Bakugo scoffed and decidedly downed half of his beer, "I don't."

"Yeah, yeah," Kirishima waved dismissively, "Word is that Midoriya moved to America, so Uraraka stayed behind and moved here. Nobody has actually asked her about it yet, so none of us know if it's true. Midoriya's definitely not in Tokyo though."

Bakugo slammed his drink back on the table, "Have you always been such a girl, Kirishima? You sure as hell gossip like one."

Kirishima wasn't fazed by the blonde's personal attack. "It is nice to see her around, though. She looks great. I bet she's even happier to see all of us."

"Fuck, Kirishima," Bakugo snapped, "I really don't give a shit." He chugged the last of his beer, "If you just wanted to gab about her then why the fuck would you invite me out?"

Kirishima rolled his eyes, "Simmer down, man. I was just trying to make conversation. I figured that you'd be stoked that Midoriya was across the world."

"Damn right I am," Bakugo jeered. "Good riddance."

Ever since high school ended, Bakugo and Deku were in constant rivalry. Both of them were working their way up the charts as quickly as they could. Bakugo thought Deku was a nuisance in high school, but now he was just an unrelenting thorn in his side. With that shit-eater across the world, Bakugo could finally climb up the ranks without being hindered by competition. Now he could really shine.

It had always annoyed him how Deku cheered him on and congratulated him with every step up in rank. It was like a kick to the nuts every time he saw that fucker light up his phone with some bitch-ass text like ' _Nice going, Kacchan! At this rate, you're going to pass me!'_ He could practically see Deku's girl-next-door smile and his annoying as hell thumbs up.

He knew he should have blocked Deku ages ago.

Kirishima sucked down some of his drink before starting the conversation up again, "So what's been going on with you man? We haven't caught up in a while."

"We see each other every fucking day, dumbass." Bakugo couldn't stand to look at Kirishima's stupid face right now.

"Duh," Kirishima cackled, "But we never do shit like we used to, you know? After high school I thought we would be partying every night."

"You're a bigger idiot than I thought if you think that," Bakugo shot back. "That shit is overrated."

"Whatever," Kirishima brushed off the insult without issue, "I'm just saying that you're like a boring as hell old man now. All you do is work."

Bakugo knew that Kirishima was working up to something, so he immediately began looking for a way out. "So what if I do? I like work and fuck everything else."

"No way man," Kirishima rested his elbows on the table, "You might be a hardass, but nobody is actually that macho. You really need to get out. How long has it been since you got laid?"

Bakugo felt his skin crawl with annoyance. "Fuck off, Kirishima."

"That long?" Kirishima stifled a laugh. "Yeah, let's go out and do something on Friday. Maybe I'll get the guys together for a night out."

"Hell no," Bakugo shot back. "Not interested." The blonde was steadily losing his minimal patience.

Kirishima looked like he was ready to test the blonde, "Don't make me go last resort, Bakugo."

Last resort was a term that Kirishima had coined back in high school. It basically consisted of Kirishima being one hundred times more of a nuisance to Bakugo than normal and it drove the blonde absolutely batty. Sometimes it was just easier to give in than to put up the fight.

"Fuck you, Kirishima." Bakugo snarled.

"I'll take that as a yes," The red-head was so smug that Bakugo nearly leapt out of his chair to start a fight. "We will definitely need to find some girls for you to check out. I'm sure Kaminari can help with that."

"Shut the fuck up!" Bakugo hissed and nearly broke his empty beer glass. "Don't make me change my fuckin' mind, shithead." He stood up suddenly and turned toward the door. "I'm sick of looking at your ugly as hell face. You can buy my drink, dick. I'm leaving."

"But Bakugo!" Kirishima whined, "We just got here."

Bakugo didn't look back as he left the bar and strolled out on the street. Damn it, how did Kirishima always drag him into shit? He thought he would have learned by now that Kirishima was never up to anything good. He trudged off toward his apartment and regretted his decision to go out on Friday.

Kirishima watched the blonde storm off from the window of the bar. A look of bemusement was twitching to come onto his face. He'd been trying to set Bakugo up for a while. Damn, that guy needed a girlfriend. However, his explosive best friend never took a liking to any of the women that Kirishima presented him with. It was exhausting and Kirishima often asked himself if he had Bakugo all wrong. Was he gay or something? He wondered if he'd ever know.

* * *

Uraraka was adjusting to her new apartment but it still felt weird. Sleeping alone was the hardest part. Although she and Deku hardly did much but sleep, it still was difficult not to have someone beside her. It felt oddly empty while she watched the television by herself.

When she polished off her dinner and went to clean up, she couldn't help but feel a little off when there were no other dirty dishes in the sink. Deku usually let them pile up to the point where she could no longer stand it. Now, the sink was devoid of anything but her empty plate.

Yeah, she definitely missed him.

When a siren tore her away from staring at the sink, she remembered where she was. That's right, she was in Tokyo. The biggest and greatest city to be a hero and she couldn't stop the rush of excitement she felt. For a moment, she completely forgot that Deku wasn't there.

A knock at her door gave her a surprise she was not expecting.

"Hel-lo!" A sing song voice rang happily from behind the door. "Open up, Uraraka!"

The brunette beamed as she recognized the voice and ran to open the door. "Mina!"

The pink girl flipped her hair haughtily as she entered the apartment, toting two grocery bags with her. "I figured you needed company on your first week alone in the city, so I picked up some stuff and came straight over."

Uraraka opened her mouth to thank the girl but was cut off abruptly.

"No need to thank me, girly." Mina winked and dumped the bags onto the kitchen counter. "Now hurry up and pick your poison. I have wine, cheese, and more wine."

Uraraka plopped down at one of the bar stools she had set up against the counter. "You really didn't have to do this, Mina."

"Uh, yeah I did." Mina gave Uraraka a look as if to say, ' _Girl, are you crazy?'_

Uraraka peeked through the bags at all the things she had brought. "You really didn't have to get this much."

"Shut up and where the hell are your wine glasses?" Mina banged the cabinet doors as she searched. "Do not tell me that you and Deku don't drink."

"We don't really," Uraraka shrugged. "It's kind of a special occasion thing, you know?"

"Oh my god," Mina slapped her forehead and shook her head. "I swear, it's like you both totally skipped your twenties and went straight to thirty-five. Girl, you need to have some fun or you're going to just end up being a prude."

Uraraka watched as her pink friend dug through her purse for a wine bottle opener. She deftly popped the cork on the first and poured the drink into two plastic cups. "I'm taking you out this weekend and getting you hammered."

Uraraka accepted the cup as Mina handed it to her. She noticed the the cup was teetering on full. "Wow, I don't think I should drink all this. I have work tomorrow."

"It's like six o'clock at night, Uraraka. Shut up and drink the damn wine. If you're worried about it, then I have cheese to soak it up." Mina chugged a huge portion of her drink and began topping it off immediately. "I'm going to have to get wasted just to get through this, you know?"

Uraraka blushed profusely in embarrassment. Maybe she had become a bit of a prude. Deku was kind of against drinking altogether and she was surprised at how much she'd grown out of drinking. She was only twenty-one, so perhaps it wouldn't kill her to have a little bit of fun. Deku wasn't here after all.

She sipped at the wine hesitantly, savoring the taste. It was good wine. A light pink color with a sweet undertone. She sipped again.

Mina marched over with a determined look on her face. "Pinch your nose and chug that, Uraraka."

The brunette looked horrified, "No way! I should probably take this slow. I don't drink much and I don't want to go too fast."

Mina rolled her eyes and took a deep swig of her drink, "Fine, but please try not to be a pansy about it. I'm here to have fun with you and getting you wasted is step one."

Uraraka gulped but couldn't help feeling kind of excited. It had been so long since she'd just hung out with a friend that she almost forgot what it was like to be young and stupid. "Okay, but I'm not going to go crazy."

Two hours later, both girls were snorting with laughter and laying on the living room floor. They were plastered. An empty wine bottle rolled across the floor and the second one was half full and begging to be accidentally tipped over.

Mina sat up and clumsily grabbed for the bottle before taking a gulp from it. They'd abandoned their cups long ago in favor of sharing the bottle. "Uraraka. I cannot believe you are such a funny drunk." The slur was evident in her voice.

Uraraka was flushed red and she bubbled with laughter. "I can't believe it either! I've never been this drunk in my life!"

"We are sooooo going out this weekend. All us girls are, right?" Mina almost swooned at the thought. "Ahhh it's going to be so awesome to have the gang back together again for a night on the town!"

"Totally," Uraraka slurred and smiled with a dazed expression.

"Tell me something," Mina scooted over to her friend that was still laying on the floor. She plopped Uraraka's head in her lap and began playing with her long brown hair.

Uraraka wanted to explode with laughter again but she simply grinned and asked, "Tell you what?"

"Tell me," Mina started again and paused to giggle as she tangled her hands into Uraraka's hair. "Is Deku good in bed?"

Uraraka blushed, but the alcohol hid it well, "Pfft! Why would you even ask that?!"

"I want to know!" Mina sputtered and threw her hands up, accidentally yanking Uraraka's hair. "Oops, sorry!"

Uraraka could barely feel the pain, "I guess he's good. How would I even know? I haven't been with anybody else!"

Mina stared down at the brunette with curious eyes, "You cannot be serious."

"I am," Uraraka covered her face.

"Ughhh! Uraraka you are so weird!" Mina shook her head in surprise. "Are you absolutely sure you're not like forty years old?!"

Uraraka punched Mina playfully as they laughed together, "How many guys have you been with?"

Mina shook her head wildly, "I am not sharing that on our first girls night. You're going to have to earn that another time."

"Please," Uraraka pleaded with her eyes. "I mean, I at least know about you and Kirishima, so there is one."

"Kirishima?" Mina balked. "Hell no, I haven't slept with him!"

Uraraka resisted the urge to pout, "That is such a lie!"

"I mean," Mina paused to ponder her words, but they still came out slovenly in her drunk state. "Okay, I know that Kirishima is hot. Like super hot, but he and I just aren't like that, you know?"

Uraraka considered her reply and her mouth spoke before her brain could catch up, "Yeah I can see what you mean. I guess he is pretty good looking."

"Right?!" Mina scrambled for her phone and opened Facebook. "I mean, look at his damn profile picture. What girl wouldn't be all over that?"

Uraraka watched as Mina opened up his profile and displayed the photo. Kirishima was in the middle of exchanging punches with a bulky villain. It was a manly shot of him and a perfect profile photo. She lazily lifted a finger and scrolled to the next one for Mina.

They both watched as they scrolled through the next two picture, silently admiring Kirishima. The third picture was one they had both forgotten about. Kirishima was walking through some rubble with Bakugo by his side. They both looked determined, even though they were bruised and covered in dirt.

Mina whistled quietly at the photo, "Yeah, Bakugo got kind of hot too, I guess."

"It's just a good picture," Uraraka muttered as she stared at it.

"Too bad I'm not friends with that explody bastard on Facebook or I would totally stalk his ass." Mina grumbled as she tried to click on Bakugo's tag. "That dick has me blocked!"

Uraraka grabbed her phone off the floor beside her and unlocked it. "I'm friends with him, so here." She handed Mina the phone. "Stalk away."

"I really like you when you're drunk, you know?" Mina grinned happily as she snatched the phone away.

"Whatever," Uraraka mused and let Mina lower the phone so that both girls could see.

Mina swatted through Bakugo's posts and photos. They were few and far between, but the ones that were there were all perfect shots. He really was quite picky about his appearance online.

"Ugh," Mina groaned, "Damn that blonde asshat. If he wasn't such a dick all the time, maybe he'd finally get laid. Perhaps that's what he needs, you know?"

"To get laid?" Uraraka gurgled with laughter, "I feel sorry for any girl that would be crazy enough to go for that."

"I bet it's good," Mina chuckled at the thought. "Better than good, now that I think about it."

Uraraka rolled her eyes, "Bakugo isn't like that at all. He's probably a prude like me."

"He totally is," Mina blurted out.

Uraraka couldn't help her curiosity now. "What do you mean?"

She shook her head, "He's like… Well, you're totally right. He's a total prude. Kirishima has been trying to set him up for ages, but Bakugo never takes to them."

"I'm surprised Bakugo let's Kirishima even do that," Uraraka muttered, the alcohol was making her tired now.

Mina wanted to laugh, "He doesn't. It just kind of happens. I don't know how Kirishima does it, but he's got that asshole figured out."

"I don't really care that much," Uraraka shrugged as her eyes fluttered closed in Mina's lap. "I'm just so tired now."

Mina patted the brunette's hair and watched as her eyes fluttered closed. "Sounds like another topic for another wine night, huh?"

* * *

 **Lol hi. I am so happy I started writing something omg. I am so excited to continue writing this now too. I probably could have kept going through the night but DAMMIT I have work in the morning and I need sleep. So here is chappy 1. I really hope you like this so far, because I am so happy with it omg.**

 **I love the post-high school fics because they are so much more fun to read, so I needed to write one of my own. If you like this, I'd love to hear from you lol. I guess I just want the affirmation that people will actually read my trashy sappy fic.**

 **XOXO  
**


	2. Chapter 2

Bakugo watched from the back of the room as Uraraka rushed into the conference room a few minutes before the briefing meeting started. She looked like shit. He wanted to roll his eyes so bad. Who the fuck drinks that much on a Wednesday night? Did she not know she had work in the morning?

She smiled at Kirishima as the red-haired bafoon waved at her, but instead of coming to talk to them, she sunk down in a chair toward the front of the room. Bakugo avoided looking at his friend at all costs, knowing Kirishima would make some smart ass remark if he did.

Bakugo watched as Uraraka gulped down half her water bottle and rested her head on her arms. Before he could form a coherent insult in his mind, the meeting was starting.

A kiss-ass sidekick was leading the briefing that morning, "Good morning, everyone!" The sidekick had a ridiculous get-up on. He had some kind of unimpressive water quirk, so he looked like a damn dolphin. "We have been having a very slow week as you all know, but we fully expect to see you all still on your guard. We've heard rumors from our contacts that something big might be going down in the near future."

Bakugo tuned the dolphin out. He already knew all this shit because he was the only one in the office that read his damn email regularly. He still didn't know why their daily briefing meetings were a thing. The higher-ups had insisted it was a 'team-building exercise,' but Bakugo thought that they were all full of shit.

Bakugo couldn't help but be mildly annoyed while the meeting droned on. His eyes glazed over the room as he observed all the mediocrity surrounding him. Once he began his career as a pro, it hadn't taken long for him to outgrow being a sidekick. He put in double the hours that any of these losers did and it was finally getting him somewhere. If he kept it up, then he'd move on to supervise a small unit with his own little gaggle of dweebs that he could whip into shape. He almost pitied the fools that would be assigned to him.

"Ground Zero," Bakugo was broken from his thoughts by the fish fucker leading the meeting. "You will be be Uravity's guide for the next two days. She's going to need to learn all of the patrols before the end of the week."

He blinked at the sidekick before turning his gaze toward a slumped brunette at the front of the room. Fuckin' great… "Whatever." He sneered and crossed his arms. Now he'd have to be stuck with Deku's hungover girlfriend for the next two days? Talk about a shit week.

The meeting ended shortly after that and Bakugo rose quickly to leave. He watched as Kirishima sauntered up to Uraraka and gave her a quick side hug. He could faintly hear their conversation.

"It's nice to see some friendly faces here," Uraraka smiled.

Kirishima beamed in that signature boy-band way, "Hell yeah it is. At least I finally have a pretty face to look at instead of that ugly as hell one over there."

Both Uraraka and Kirishima looked behind them at Bakugo, who was scowling at them from a few feet away. "Shut the hell up, Kirishima."

Kirishima completely ignored the harsh comment and patted Uraraka on the head. "Don't let this guy mess up your day, kay? If he's acting like an ass, just let me know and I'll give him a talking to."

Bakugo bristled with indignation, but wasn't able to get a word in before Uraraka playfully elbowed the red-head. "Don't worry," She smiled, "I can handle Bakugo."

Bakugo sniffed at her comment. That was fuckin' ballsy to say. "Hurry the hell up and get changed! You have five minutes." Bakugo barked the order and marched out the door.

"Well," Uraraka scooped up her duffle bag from her seat, "I guess I better do that. Knowing him, he'd leave me behind." She rubbed her forehead as she recovered from the blonde's shouting.

Kirishima shook his head jovially, "Some aspects of Bakugo haven't changed at all, but he's gotten a little more patient. Just know that he's going to give you so much shit for being hungover."

"Figures," She muttered and moved to leave. "I'm just going to take the entire bottle of aspirin before I leave."

"I suppose there are worse ways to go out," Kirishima chuckled at her remark. "Just tell Mina to invite me next time. I always love a good girls night."

"You would," Uraraka suppressed a giggle. She hurried to the locker room to change into her hero suit and ignored the texts from Deku. She'd have to get back to him later.

When she found herself outside the building, she spotted those grenades in no time. He was leaned up against the wall with his phone in his hands. He looked taller than she remembered. His costume didn't look so bulky now, but instead complimented his physique. He'd tweaked it over the years to better suit his combat style. As she took a moment to admire his more adult look, he looked up to glare at her.

"I'd tell you to take a damn picture, but I'd just break your phone." His attitude was the same that she remembered.

She could already feel her headache worsening. This was going to be a long day. "It's almost like we never left high school." She muttered the words just loud enough for Bakugo to hear.

He was irked by her comment, but he chose to overlook it. They had hero work to do and that took precedence. "At least I didn't show up for work with a hangover. Hurry the hell up, we have shit to do." He couldn't resist the insult.

She rolled her eyes once he began marching off and regrettably followed. Of course the first patrol was walking straight into the rising sun. She wished she hadn't left her sunglasses in her locker. As she got into step beside him, she promised herself she'd never drink before work again.

He preferred they walk in silence, his arms swaying at his side as they went. He noticed Uraraka looking around at the skyscrapers around them, admiring the sheer size of the city. She didn't look as ill as she had in the briefing room anymore. Perhaps she was getting over her hangover now. Wait, why would he even care?

They were about halfway through the patrol when they rounded a corner at a large office building and Bakugo was barely able to react to a speeding cyclist blowing by them. "Hey, shithead! Watch it!"

The cyclist screeched to a halt and the teenager riding it whirled around on the bicycle seat. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" He pushed the brim of his helmet up a bit as he looked between Bakugo and Uraraka. "Hey, you're Ground Zero!"

Bakugo wanted to both roll his eyes and puff up his chest in pride. "What's it to you?"

"This is so cool!" The teenager dropped his bike and ran up to them, "Can I get a picture with you? My friends will never believe this!"

Bakugo could feel Uraraka's eyes burning into his back with expectation. "You almost just hit me with your fuckin' bike, dipshit. Why the hell would I reward you for that?"

"Oh come on," Uraraka meandered to his side again. "What's the harm?"

Bakugo immediately moved his glare away from the high schooler to land on Uraraka. "If you're so keen on it, why don't you fuckin' take a picture with this moron?"

The high schooler blinked at Uraraka, "Is she your new sidekick?"

Ouch.

Bakugo almost laughed at the kid's candor. "Hell no she isn't. She's just a newbie to the city. And I don't need a damn sidekick."

Uraraka's humor had died from her face as she turned her unamused eyes to the boy before them. "I'm Uravity." She paused but the boy's expression didn't change. "You know," She waved her fingers in front of her face, "I manipulate gravity?"

The high school boy thought for a second and both the heroes watched as the cogs in his head turned, "Oh, yeah." His realization was a severe let down.

"Come on!" Uraraka huffed and threw her hands up in the air.

Bakugo smirked at the brunette, "Don't take it personally roundface, you're just not this kid's type I guess."

He saw her twitch in a way that made him think she'd punch him. Clearly, she valued her life because she decided against it. "Whatever," She muttered defeatedly. "Are you going to take the picture with him or not?"

The boy grinned foolishly and dug out his phone, thinking his dreams were about to come true.

"Hell no," Bakugo relished in the boy's disappointment. "Where the fuck are you even going that you're in such a hurry anyway?"

"School," The boy replied dumbly.

Bakugo huffed and tried to contain his irritation, "Hurry the fuck up and get on your damn way before I blast you there myself. Next time, be on time!"

The kid froze up for a moment, "Yes, sir." He backed away and scrambled away with his bike. "Kick butt out there Ground Zero! And… er… Uravity, right?"

Uraraka wanted to scream with frustration as she waved a farewell to the boy. "How rude," She commented as he disappeared down the street.

Bakugo was definitely amused now, "You wouldn't have wanted the photo getting out there anyway. You look like shit."

"Thanks," She spat back defiantly and turned to walk away. "You're not a ten out of ten either, you know?"

Oh, that hangover must be making her a bit short-tempered this morning. Bakugo grinned to himself at the endless possibilities as he caught up to her. "Clearly I make a bigger impression than you do. It was… Uravity, right? No, I'm pretty sure it's roundface."

"Ugh!" She clapped her hands over her ears and hummed, "You're not helping my mood at all, Bakugo."

Bakugo was definitely on his high horse now, "I don't bolster egos, dipshit."

"Unless it's your own," Uraraka rolled her eyes and tried to tune him out. Why did she have to get stuck on patrol with Bakugo of all people?

Bakugo didn't deny her accusation, but simply chose to let it hang in the air unanswered. They continued their patrol in silence, but he kept an eye on her fidgeting hands. Damn, had that kid really bothered her that much?

"If you'd moved to Tokyo sooner, you wouldn't have to deal with shit like that." Bakugo found himself saying. As soon as he said them he realized that he was breaking his normal character. Why the fuck would he even care? It's her damn fault for failing to make a name for herself so far.

Uraraka sucked in an annoyed breath, "I know," She released a frustrated sigh after a few moments. "I just had other things going on in my life that made it so that I couldn't move here. Now I realize that it didn't really do much for my hero status."

Bakugo scowled at her confession. "Fuck if I care," He corrected his earlier slip-up. "You've got a shit ton of catching up to do now. Too bad you'll never catch up to me."

Uraraka almost laughed, "At least you're honest about it."

Bakugo was confused by her reply. What the hell was that supposed to mean? Was she talking about that shithead, Deku? He thought back to what Kirishima had told him at the bar and pondered the possibility that they really were broken up. Damn it, he didn't care so he pushed it out of his mind. "I don't waste my breath with lies, space suit."

"Is that supposed to be better than roundface?" She quirked an eyebrow at him questioningly.

"Fuck, fine." Bakugo growled with indignation. "Roundface it is. Happy now?"

She shook her head spiritedly and smiled her trademark sunshine grin, "You really haven't changed that much, have you?"

"Shut up and focus on getting some work done. We don't have time to dick around." He ignored her comment about him being the same because he heard it all the time from everyone else. What did they all expect? Being a hero didn't exactly turn people into softies.

The rest of their day was less banter and more patrolling. When they finally circled back around toward the agency, Bakugo picked up the speed. The evening light was starting to fall behind the skyline and he wanted to hustle to get his gym routine over with.

When they entered the office they were met by Kirishima who greeted them both happily. "There they are! How was patrol?"

"Fuck off," Bakugo snapped and stormed off toward the locker room.

"What's his rush?" Uraraka asked as she pulled off the helmet of her costume.

Kirishima shook his head playfully, "His favorite game show is on tonight. Bunch of people wiping out hardcore on an obstacle course. It's his guilty pleasure."

"That sounds about right," Uraraka tucked the helmet under her arm. "How was your day, Kirishima?"

"Not bad," He shrugged. "It was a desk day for me. My patrol partner was patrolling with you today, so I get to take a break. It works out for me though, It'd probably be harder to get him to do anything this weekend if I annoyed him until then."

"What do you guys even do when you hang out?" Uraraka couldn't help her curiosity.

Kirishima chuckled at her question, "You know, guy stuff. Booze, video games, bars. It doesn't matter as long as we have fun."

"Bakugo having fun?" Uraraka teased, "Has hell frozen over?"

"I wish!" Kirishima laughed aloud, "He's just the designated party pooper. Wouldn't be a guys night without his shit talking."

Uraraka moved to head toward the women's locker room, "I'd pay to see Bakugo being dragged around like that. I bet it's hilarious." She pointed toward the locker room with her thumb. "I'm going to get going. It was nice seeing you again, Kirishima."

Kirishima winked at her and waved. "See you tomorrow!"

* * *

The agency's gym was packed with heroes fitting in their workout routines after work. Uraraka worked around everyone else as she got used to the gym's dynamic. At her old agency, the gym was almost always empty by the end of the day and she'd have her choice of machines. Now, she had to wait in line for them.

"Beat it, extra!" Bakugo snapped from across the room as he took his rightful place on one of the treadmills. He'd gotten here before she had and was nearing the end of his work out. Sweat had built up along his hair line and soaked his shirt. As he jogged, facing away from her, he wiped his forehead with the towel draped around his neck.

Uraraka finally got her turn on the weights and set them up for a deadlift. She was rolling her shoulders in preparation when one of the other heros from the agency sauntered up to her.

"Need a spotter?" He asked with a half-smile. He had tousled black hair that he had tied up in a bun and a square jaw line. She'd seen him at the briefing this morning but couldn't put a name to his face. She probably couldn't remember because she was feeling so hungover this morning.

"Thanks, but I got it." Uraraka smiled sweetly back at him and went to pick up the weights.

He crossed his arms across his sweaty chest, "Are you sure? It's always dangerous to lift without a spotter. You could break your back with that much weight on there."

She withdrew her hands from the weights and crossed her arms, "What, don't think I can lift it?"

"Didn't say that," He shrugged, "It just seems like a lot."

She twisted her mouth into a thoughtful look, "Why don't we make this interesting then?"

The male hero perked up at the suggestion, "Interesting how?"

"Tell you what," She meandered over to the extra weights. "I'll add two more twenty pound weights. If I can lift that, you'll have to do me a favor."

"And if you can't?" The guy asked conspicuously.

She shrugged, "Whatever you want."

This seemed to capture the guy's interest. He pondered the offer for a moment before replying. "You're on, cutie."

"Alright then," Uraraka hid her grin well. She dramatically struggled to mount the two new plates on the deadlift bar and put on her best face of determination.

"Need a spotter?" He asked again as she leaned over to grab the bar.

"I got it, but thanks." She sent him a knowingly sweet smile before easily lifting the weight off the ground, thanks to her quirk.

"Hang on a second!" The black haired hero gaped at her. "You cheated!"

She released the weights to fall to the floor before shrugging and smiling again. "It's called hustling." She was so proud of herself in that moment that she had to smother her triumphant grin. After struggling with the lack of recognition she was getting from her peers and the citizens of Tokyo alike, it was satisfying to have something go her way today.

She dismounted the two weights she added and performed her normal deadlift routine, all while the flabbergasted hero next to her watched. After she returned all the weights back to their homes, she brushed her hands on her leggings. "Now for that favor…"

* * *

Bakugo was nearing the end of his two mile run and that would signal the end of his workout. He bumped up the speed and sprinted the last quarter mile. As he did so, he spotted some shit-eating extra walking up to him looking like he had eaten something bad.

Bakugo didn't slow his pace as this guy quickly passed by his treadmill, dropping a folded piece of paper on the keypad. Just as it landed, the black-haired guy was speed-walking for his life.

Bakugo's face fell into a scowl as he stopped the treadmill altogether to open the note. He noticed that the guy was making it beeline for the door before opening the paper.

" _You suck."_

He hadn't felt his blood boil like this in a really long time. The audacity! Who the fuck even was that guy?! Bakugo whirled around and began chasing the unnamed extra down, "Hey man-bun! Quit runnin' like a bitch and fuckin' say that shit to my face! I'll blow your fuckin' head off!"

The whole gym paused to watch the scene as Bakugo sprinted toward the door that their coworker had just ducked out of. Eyeballs widened as another spew of profanity left Bakugo's lips as he gave chase.

Uraraka grinned to herself as she wandered over to take up the treadmill that Bakugo had abandoned. Served that guy right for being such a sleaze. It was too easy to rile her old high school classmate up.

Bakugo finally caught that shithead man-bun right after they'd entered the locker room. Bakugo held up the note in his hand and burst it into a frenzy of flames, "The fuck is this shit?" He grabbed the guy by his bro-tank and slammed him into a locker. "Can't say this shit to my face like a man?"

The black-haired pansy raised his hands defensively and sweat beads built up on his forehead out of fear. Bakugo felt a twinge of satisfaction when he saw the horrified expression he'd given his new enemy.

"You gonna say it or am I going to have to beat it out of you?" Bakugo threatened.

"I swear I didn't write that," The guy pleaded for mercy, "I was just told to give it to you!"

Bakugo stared for a moment before releasing the moron and taking a step back. "I swear, I'm going to fuckin' kill Kirishima for this one."

"No!" The words poured out of the idiot's mouth, "It wasn't Kirishima. I'd never fall for that. It was the new girl. I don't know her name, but I lost a bet to her."

Bakugo blinked for a moment while he processed the new information, "You lost a bet to roundface?" He could hardly believe what he was hearing.

The guy was confused for a moment, "Who?"

Bakugo hissed with irritation, "Get lost, man-bun. I don't have time for this. Next time, do me a favor and don't fuck around with Uraraka. She's smarter than she looks."

A look of relief crossed over the other hero's face as he hustled out the door, thanking Bakugo for his mercy. He heeded the warning that the older blonde gave him about the excessively strong brunette he'd foolishly crossed paths with earlier.

When he was finally alone in the locker room, Bakugo smirked to himself. Whatever that poor bastard had done to piss off Uraraka, he was sure it was deserved. He'd been around her all day and had gotten a feel for what her skill level was. She'd improved dramatically since he last saw her at their class final three years ago. However, he wouldn't really be able to gauge exactly where she stood until he saw her in combat.

It was weird seeing that bubble of sunshine again. She drove him absolutely mad with her excessive cheeriness, but at least she'd developed a little attitude over the years. He recalled some of her more-than-witty remarks from earlier that day. Honestly, he was surprised she wasn't a high ranking hero by now. Perhaps working in a smaller town up to this point really hadn't done her any favors.

Luckily, it wasn't his problem. She'd just have to overcome that herself. The deciding factor would be if she were any use in battle. He recalled her fighting style from their high school days. If her combat ability evolved like her attitude did, then he was sure she wouldn't have any problems proving her worth.

He mused about it for a while longer before showering and leaving the locker room.

* * *

Uraraka took her time with the rest of her workout. She had a good feeling of self-satisfaction, so she decided to take it a little easier today. She'd had a crap day that was ending on a good note and she relaxed in the shower for a while before changing to leave.

When she stepped out of the hero agency, the sun had disappeared completely, leaving the street with only the light of the street lamps. She smiled as a cool breeze worked on drying her damp hair. She supposed it wasn't the worst first day she could have had.

"You suck?" A voice spat from her right. "I mean, at least be creative when you're trying to get me to beat someone up for you."

Uraraka recognized the voice immediately and turned to place her hands on her hips. "I think simplicity is the easiest way to damage your ego. If there were a bunch of fancy words, I doubt you would have actually understood what it said."

Bakugo frowned at her from where he was leaning on the wall, his duffle bag on the ground beside him. "Calling me stupid now, huh?"

"If only it were that easy," She smiled and shook her head.

"Tch," Bakugo leaned off the wall and stood on his two feet again. "What did man-bun even do to piss you off?"

She laughed lightly at the nickname he'd coined, "Man-bun, huh? And you told me I should be creative."

"If it fits, then it fits." Bakugo snapped back and leaned down to grab his duffle bag. "I don't give a fuck how it sounds to you."

"I know you don't," Uraraka rolled her eyes. "He didn't think I could lift a lot of weight, so I proved him wrong."

"That's all?" Bakugo grunted disappointedly, "You make him gamble for his life over a weight lifting contest?"

Uraraka wanted to roll her eyes again, "It was more than that, but it isn't important. I won and that's all that matters now."

Bakugo finally slung his bag over his shoulder and walked toward her, his eyes hardening into a scowl. "Kirishima was telling me that Deku," He said the name with such disdain that even Uraraka wanted to flinch, "Moved to America and you stayed behind. Is that true?"

Uraraka was surprised by the question. Sure, she shouldn't be surprised that Bakugo was this straightforward about it, but it wasn't like him to ask about other people's personal lives. Maybe he'd actually done some maturing since high school. "Yeah it's true." She dropped her eyes to her shoes to hide the sad look in her eyes.

He scanned her as she looked away. For the first time since she got to town, she seemed small. Her normal larger-than-life smile was put away for once and that made him feel… well, weird. It was like she was weak and fuck that, he hated weakness. "Good riddance to that. That's the best news I've ever fuckin' heard."

Uraraka reacted before she could think and punched him lightly in the arm, "Yeah well, at least someone is happy about it."

Bakugo was stunned by her punch. It was the last thing he expected from her. He searched his mind for the right word to describe it. He supposed it was kind of… cute. In a gross way, of course. "That was weak shit, roundface. If you wanted a fight, you should have just asked."

Her responding laughter sounded like bells and a genuine smile spread over her face as she finally met his eyes again. Her brown ones suddenly didn't seem so empty and her stance didn't seem so sad. "I'd kick your butt, you know?"

Bakugo scowled again to hide his amusement, "Only in your dreams."

"How do you say it again?" She looked up thoughtfully and tapped her chin with her right index finger, "Oh yes, I remember." She playfully went to punch him again, "Now die!"

This time he caught her fist in his right one. As she registered the blocked hit, he leaned down to her level, "That's my line."

She met his gaze for a half second before she recoiled back into herself and hid her pinking cheeks. She floundered for words, "No fair, Bakugo."

"Tch," Bakugo stood upright again and adjusted the strap of his duffle bag on his shoulder, "I don't remember this being a game. Weak shit, roundface. It's a real shocker you won in a weight lifting competition after that pathetic punch."

"Oh my gosh," Uraraka huffed, attempting to muffle her laughter and her blush. "You are impossible."

Bakugo's expression didn't change as he moved to go around her. "See you tomorrow, roundface. Hopefully you'll bring your A-game this time."

She wanted to retort something back, but held her tongue. Instead she reveled in the brief moment of friendship she'd just had with Bakugo. It was definitely weird, but also felt normal. He never really intimidated her that much in high school. At least, not after the first sports festival. Now she just admired his undeterred drive to be the best. Even into their adulthood, his goals hadn't changed. He was still the same old Bakugo with the same old dreams. It was a comforting thought. Perhaps she hadn't missed out on quite as much as she thought these last three years.

She watched him leave for a few more moments before turning toward her own apartment. As she started walking, she felt her phone buzzing in her pocket. When she pulled it out, she saw a familiar icon and answered the call.

"Uraraka!" Deku's voice rang through the phone with a tone of relief. "I was getting worried when you hadn't called."

"Yeah sorry," She replied airily. "I've been busy at my new job. It's kind of hard to find time to talk, you know?"

"I get it," He understood too well, "I'm in the same position here. At least nobody is looking at you funny all the time. I even had to eat an american cheeseburger. How do these people consume so much food in one sitting?" He sounded flabbergasted now.

"America sounds so weird when you put it like that!" Uraraka wrinkled her nose with a slight chuckle.

"And the streets here are so dirty! Everyone in the agency just ignores it. They all thought I was crazy when I started cleaning it up!" There was amazement in Deku's tone now. "Don't even get me started on their quirk laws here because there are none. Everybody just has free range use of their quirks without regulation. How they even have functioning hero agencies is beyond me."

Uraraka giggled at his observations, "That sounds like it's really hard to work in."

"Yeah," Deku replied tiredly, "Every civilian in a two mile radius of an attack is leaping to be the first response. It's a shocker that more people don't get killed. The only thing that separates us from them is the ability to make legitimate arrests and actual combat training."

They carried on their light-hearted conversation about America for a while longer while she walked. Eventually, Deku finally asked what he'd been waiting to ask since they started the call. "How is your new job going?"

"It's alright," Uraraka deflated at the question. "Nobody here recognizes me, though."

Deku could hear the concern in her voice, "I'm sure they will soon enough."

"I hope so," Uraraka looked down at her shoes as she walked. "Bakugo keeps making fun of me for it, though."

"Kacchan?" Deku's tone raised a few notes, "What about him?"

Uraraka realized she hadn't shared this information with him yet, "Yeah, he actually works at my agency. Kirishima too. It's weird seeing them both again, you know?"

"Hmm…" Deku took the information in. "Are you sure you want to work at the same agency? I'm sure it's going to be hard for you to stand out with them around."

That struck the wrong chord with Uraraka. "What do you mean? Are you saying I can't outshine them?"

"No!" Deku's tone changed to defensive. "I'm just saying that they're media hogs, you know? The media love them."

Uraraka grimaced at his reply, "I think I can handle it, Deku."

"I'm sorry," Deku immediately tried to repair his error, " I didn't mean to upset you."

Uraraka breathed out slowly, "I'm not upset. I'm just… I've had a really long day." She forced the words out to avoid a dispute.

"Well I'm sorry anyway. You're awesome, Uraraka. Just keep your chin up, okay?" Deku's voice tried to comfort her through the phone.

Unbeknownst to Deku, his recent comment had irritated her even more. She didn't want his comfort, she wanted him to motivate her. What she really needed right now was one hell of a pep talk and he was not giving her what she wanted. "I'm sorry Deku but I'm getting another call," She wasn't one to lie, but she really didn't want to get angry with him. "Can I call you later?"

"Uh," Deku hesitated for a moment, "Yeah of course. I'll call you tomorrow, alright?"

She knew that he thought she was lying, but she didn't care at that moment. Anything to avoid the inevitable argument if they continued on the path they were on right now. "Alright, I'll talk to you then."

"I love you, Uraraka." His voice sounded unsure of her response.

She breathed for a moment and recollected her demeanor, "I love you too."

She hung up the phone before he could reply. It was weird how her bad day turned to good but so easily turned sour once again. When she got into her apartment, she tried to relax and get the short argument out of her mind. It would do her no good if she went to bed angry.

She plopped down on her couch and turned on the television. She flipped through the channels until she landed on one that piqued her interest. It was a game show where people were wiping out repeatedly. She recalled Kirishima's comment from earlier in the day about how this was Bakugo's guilty pleasure. A minute later she found herself chuckling as an average man was thrown off a platform by a spinning machine and landed hard into a pool of mud. Alright, maybe she could enjoy this too.

The channel stayed on until she felt herself getting tired. Before she knew it, she was sound asleep, clutching the remote and all thoughts of Deku had left her mind.

* * *

 **Lul hello again. I had so much fun writing the last chapter that I am totally exploding to get this one out. Once again, it's late at night and I had to hurry to edit this. I'm really hoping that I'm doing this whole fanfiction thing right. I'm pretty new to it, but from what I can tell this is working.**

 **NumberSixteen: Yes I will try to make sure that all the chapters are in the range of 5k words. But omg I didn't realize how much work that is! It's like 14 pages of writing on google docs! I am legit shocked by how much that is. There may be a few ones sprinkled in that are around 4k words every once in a while depending on how busy my life is. idk we will have to wait and see lol.**

 **Ok hopefully I'll be back with another chapter soon. I really want to get the ball rolling on this so everyone can get a healthy dose of Kacchako in their lives. God knows that I need it lol.**

 **XOXO**


	3. Chapter 3

Bakugo got to the meeting room as early as he normally did to secure his seat in the back. It was the same one every day. He was a man of habit after all. He watched as Kirishima bounced in with a few of their other colleagues and made his way to the back.

"Morning Bakugo!" Kirishima was his usual annoying as hell self.

"Shut up," Bakugo muttered back, too tired to add any real irritation to his tone.

Kirishima plopped down in the chair beside him and stretched his arms above his head, "Aren't you excited it's Friday?"

Bakugo wanted to retort something harsh, but was distracted when a bubbly brunette trotted into the room. She spotted the two of them in the back and smiled stupidly before heading their way. "Good morning, guys!"

Bakugo leaned back in his chair and huffed a sigh of annoyance. Couldn't he just get some peace and quiet in the mornings?

"Mornin'!" Kirishima gave her a lopsided grin as she sat down in front of Bakugo. "How are you?"

"I'm so good," Uraraka beamed as she dropped her duffle bag on the floor, "It's going to be such a beautiful day today too! I just love the spring weather, you know?"

Bakugo rolled his head back and wanted to groan with disbelief. How is anybody this peppy in the morning? And who the hell actually talks about the weather? Finally, he leaned himself forward again to give the brunette a miffed look, "What, no hangover today, roundface?"

Uraraka was visibly perturbed by his question and she simply shot him a look that said so much, yet so little.

Bakugo wanted to smirk at his own cleverness, but held his unwavering scowl, "Well you're probably the type to pass out after a single drink, so why would I even ask?"

"I am not!" Uraraka snapped back, her eyes lighting up with a challenge, "Gosh, I forgot how cranky you are in the mornings."

Bakugo's face fell into a legitimate scowl now but before he could get a snarky word out of his mouth, a hero was barging into the room while waving a clipboard over his head.

"Alright, listen up day crew!" The hero was wearing an earthy costume and he made his way to the podium at the front. "I'm Earthworm and I'm going to be running this meeting for you all instead of your normal guy. I'm tired after the night shift so nobody make me repeat myself, got it?"

Everybody in the room quieted down and turned to the front as the hero flipped through the pages on his clipboad, "Alright then… It looks like you all should already have your assignments for the day, so get moving on those after this." He paused to look up at the room. The majority were looking nervous and confused. "Oh come on, people! Does nobody check their email? I shouldn't have to tell you this."

Some words of recognition were mumbled throughout the room as everyone tried to be subtle about checking their phones.

Bakugo watched as Kirishima uncomfortably pulled out his phone, "Seriously Kirishima?" Bakugo practically bristled at his red-haired friend.

"What?" Kirishima shrugged and tried to play the innocent card, "Usually these meetings tell us what we're supposed to do anyway."

Uraraka shuffled in her seat and definitely tried to hide as she checked her own phone. Thank goodness her back was to Bakugo or she was sure she'd hear about it all day. She checked the daily email and once again, she was out learning all the patrol routes with him. She probably could have guessed.

Bakugo rolled his eyes as the spark of irritation in his gut grew to a small flame. He turned his attention back to the night shift hero at the front.

"Shame." The hero pointed around the room as everyone finished checking their phones. "Now, back to business." He flipped through a few more pages, scanning for the important stuff. "Oh yeah, don't forget that we have the U.A. students coming next week for their experience training."

Everyone in the room audibly groaned at the reminder. Uraraka was the only one who looked excited, but quickly turned to confused. She turned around to see both Bakugo and Kirishima were in the disgruntled boat. "Aren't you guys excited to have the students here?"

"Hell no!" Bakugo snapped angrily. "You actually want to be tailed by a bunch of obnoxious and inexperienced greenies?"

"Greenies?" She asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Yeah," Kirishima replied, "We call them that because they're total noobs."

Uraraka pondered his phrase for a moment as the meeting continued.

"I expect you all to be on your best behavior while they're here. It's important that we keep a good relationship with U.A." The presenter pointed an accusing finger at Bakugo. "I'm talking to you, Ground Zero!"

Bakugo didn't break character, "Shut the hell up, worm-head."

"Wow," Earthworm slapped his clipboard down on the podium and sent his hands to his hips, "That is just so original. It's almost like I've never heard it before."

Bakugo could barely keep the smirk off his lips. He liked Earthworm. He was one of the few at the office who didn't put up with his shit and could throw down in a serious fight. Bakugo could respect that. He almost missed working the nightshift during his rookie days with that worm-head.

Uraraka sputtered as she tried to contain her laughter. She'd have to take notes from this night-time hero! It took all her willpower not to turn around to see Bakugo's reaction.

"Something funny, roundface?" Bakugo muttered threateningly from behind her back.

"Nope!" Uraraka blurted out and clamped her mouth into a straight line, "Not at all." She kept her back turned to him and hoped he couldn't see any of her amused face.

As the meeting continued from there, Kirishima suspiciously eyed the blonde and brunette to his left. They seemed awfully chummy today. He couldn't shake the feeling like something was up. Bakugo was actually being somewhat tolerable toward Uraraka and his insults felt more like teases. It was unsettling yet oddly endearing. Kirishima felt a budding realization growing in his gut and he kept one eye on them as the meeting dragged forward.

"I think I've pretty much covered everything," Earthworm picked the clipboard up off of the podium. "Now quit dawdling and get to work."

Uraraka watched as the earthy hero glanced back toward herself and her two old classmates. She glanced behind her and saw Bakugo flipping him off. Mortified, she turned back to the front where Earthworm was raising his own finger to wave. She watched as the hero left without another word and she could hear Bakugo sniff bemusedly. They must know each other well.

Everyone in the room began muttering among themselves as they began their exit. Uraraka scooped her duffle bag off the floor and stood up to face Bakugo. "It looks like it's you and me again."

"Yeah it's going to suck, I get it." Bakugo retorted without skipping a beat.

Uraraka gaped at him for a moment before she regained her composure, "You're telling me."

He stood up and grabbed his own duffle to sling over his shoulder before he shot her another searing look, "At least you're one hundred percent today. I'm pretty sure I would have killed you if you came in looking like you did yesterday."

Uraraka slapped her hand on her forehead, "Blame that on Mina. She's the one who brought the wine and cheese."

"Guess I was right," Bakugo went to blow by her, "One glass and you're on your ass."

"Hey!" Uraraka sputtered, "I'll have you know that I am not a lightweight!" She went to give chase as he left the room.

Kirishima was surprised by their exchange. He had just stood up from his seat when it had begun and he swore that Bakugo seemed eerily… pleasant toward her. Well, as pleasant as that hot-head could possibly be. He pondered it as he sauntered toward the door and suddenly the budding realization in his gut took root. "Oh damn…" Kirishima felt the words slip out of his mouth.

He exited the room and caught the tail end of Bakugo's disappearance into the men's locker room. He was mildly impressed by the blonde's subtlety and congratulated him on his achievement at the same time. No wonder Bakugo never liked the girls that Kirishima put in front of him. He clearly already had a type.

He turned toward his office and whipped out his phone as he walked. He was already regretting the text he was sending to Kaminari, for his own sake at least.

" _Cancel on the girls for tonight."_

It was a grand total of thirty seconds before his phone chimed with a response.

" _Whaaaat? Why?! D:"_

Kirishima found himself at his office now and plopped down in his desk chair before typing out a response.

" _Bakugo isn't going to go for it."_

Kirishima unlocked his work computer and began working through his emails, deleting all the ones he deemed unimportant. His phone chimed again.

" _But what about us? I haven't gotten laid in 2 months man!"_

Kirishima chuckled to himself as he typed out a response.

" _It's probably not the girls then. It's probably just you."_

A response text didn't show up for a while and Kirishima nearly forgot about the conversation while he worked through the stack of paperwork on his desk. Finally, the phone chimed again.

" _It's done. I cancelled. D': Damn you, Kirishima."_

Kirishima giggled lightheartedly at the reply he'd gotten. He and Kaminari were good looking guys. They could find themselves some ladies without much effort. The only reason he'd initially asked Kaminari to bring them was for Bakugo's sake, but that felt strangely unnecessary now.

He comforted himself at the loss of their womanly counterparts with the thought that perhaps they really did need a good guys night. It really had been too long.

* * *

Uraraka walked beside her patrol partner for at least three hours now in silence. It was starting to become deafeningly loud. She couldn't take it anymore, "So," She started, testing the waters of conversation. "Do you have any plans this weekend?"

Bakugo was miffed by her sudden question. "Like I'd tell you."

Uraraka figured that this would be his response and decided to turn the conversation to herself, "Mina is getting all of us girls together from school tonight. I'm pretty excited about it."

Bakugo really didn't care about her weekend plans, "Fuckin' good for you."

Now it was her turn to be annoyed. "Would it kill you to have a conversation with me?"

"Yes." Bakugo replied curtly and prayed that she'd drop the topic. He'd had a decent day so far and one thing that could ruin it right now would be listening to roundface blab about anything girly.

Uraraka scoffed at his undesirable response, "Kirishima told me that you guys were doing something this weekend too."

"Of course he fucking did," Bakugo snarled as that stupid red-head's face came to his mind. "That guy doesn't know how to keep a lid on anything."

Finally she was getting somewhere, "What are you guys planning to do?"

"Why the hell do you want to know?" Bakugo bit back with a gust of irritation.

She simply shrugged in reply, "I guess I'm just curious."

Bakugo rolled his eyes, "Well quit being nosy. It's none of your business anyway. And for the love of god, do not mention this to pinky or else she'll be tracking us down all night."

Uraraka was confused by the nickname for a moment before it dawned on her that he was talking about Mina. "I guess you don't really like Mina's company, huh?"

Bakugo wanted to punch the pink alien the moment he recalled the last time he saw her. "The first and last time she ever went out with us, she got her acid reflux shit all over the bar. It was fuckin' disgusting."

Uraraka laughed aloud at his description, momentarily disarming the blonde.

"Why the fuck is that funny? She's a damn sloppy drunk, not to mention she's loud as all get out." Bakugo snapped at her while she wiped away a joyful tear.

Uraraka caught her breath after her laughter ended and smiled stupidly up at him, "You're starting to make me worried about going out tonight."

Bakugo scoffed at her comment, "You should be. She's a fuckin' psycho and I don't get how Kirishima can stand being around her."

"I like her," Uraraka turned her face back toward the sidewalk that they were walking down, "She's fun."

Bakugo wanted to smack her on the back of the head for that ridiculous reply, "Then you're just as crazy as she is, roundface."

Before Uraraka to trot out a response, a shout was heard from down the street. Both of the heroes looked up to see a woman outside a shop, pointing at a fleeing individual. "Somebody, help! I just got robbed!"

Before Uraraka could even get a word out, Bakugo was already sprinting toward the assailant. "Hey!" She started to tell him to wait up, but she realized that he wouldn't listen. "Oh, nevermind!"

She took off running after him, begging her legs to catch up. With all the time she'd spent in the gym over the last few years, she was pleased to see her somewhat closing the space between her and her patrol partner. She'd improved and it was so satisfying to finally see it.

"Stop right there!" Bakugo thundered after the criminal, "If you do, maybe you'll get away with your life!" He couldn't keep the grin of a potential battle off his face as he pursued his target. Finally, he was going to get some action.

The threat fell on deaf ears as the criminal only continued to attempt an escape. The petty thief threw up a barricade of rock as they ran into an alleyway and Bakugo halted to blow it up so he could get through. Just as the rocks exploded, he caught sight of a pink and black blob parading over the barrier like a damn fairy.

"See you later, Bakugo!" Uraraka smiled teasingly at him as she continued the chase ahead of him.

"Damn it!" Bakugo felt the fire erupt in him as he finally passed through the barricade, "You're going to get it now!" Bakugo barked toward the criminal that was a ways ahead now and he blasted himself toward his target. He figured now would be an appropriate time to use his quirk because now he not only had to capture a villain, but he also had to beat roundface to it.

The boost of speed didn't help much, however. As he rounded the corner he'd seen his partner and the villain pass, he was surprised by the scene. A few yards down the sidewalk, Uraraka was wrestling the assailant to the ground. This guy's rock quirk hadn't helped him much because Uraraka had used her own quirk to disarm them. Pieces of cement floated in the air around them as she pinned him face-first into the sidewalk in the most gracefully brutal way Bakugo had ever seen.

He wouldn't lie, he was impressed. He'd just watched her throw that guy down like he was a sack of potatoes. He didn't bother helping her as she cuffed him and rested a knee on her captured villain's back. She brushed her hands off with a look of satisfaction before releasing her quirk and letting the chunks of cement fall to the ground around them.

"Well that was fun," She smiled at him once she finally realized she was through with the arrest.

"Don't sound so pleased with yourself," Bakugo finally approached her, a scowl written into his face. "It was just petty theft."

Uraraka's face fell into a deep frown, "Well a criminal is a criminal and it's our job to stop them. Are you going to radio in for a police car or not?"

"Do it yourself," Bakugo muttered and snatched the stolen purse away from the scum who had stolen it.

Uraraka huffed a sigh of indignation before unlatching the radio from her belt, "You're just mad that I beat you."

"You wish, roundface." He dropped the purse to hang at his side like it was an offensive object. "I've already moved past bottom feeders like this piece of shit. They only call me for the big fights now." Bakugo felt a smirk on his lips, but fought to keep it away. It was easy to ruffle her feathers.

She ignored the comment but didn't pass up on giving him a somewhat dirty look before she called in to the agency.

It didn't take long for a police car to arrive to take their captured villain away. Bakugo had stayed behind while Uraraka went to return the stolen purse and he entertained himself by giving the villain shit about getting beaten up by a girl.

Uraraka returned just in time to see her successful capture be loaded into a police car and she couldn't help but smile. She didn't realize how much she'd needed a win until now. Even a small one like this was a huge help.

The police officer thanked them for their textbook apprehension before handing them each a copy of the police report.

"Don't thank me," Bakugo sneered and almost wanted to crumple the report in his hand. "Thank roundface here, she did all the work."

The recognition caught Uraraka off guard and she smiled at Bakugo for it, "Thank you," She felt the words come out genuinely.

"Yeah well, don't open the champagne just yet," He signalled to her police report in her hands, "You still have to do a statement and file that shit."

She shrugged as the police car pulled away, "I don't mind paperwork. It's the only part of this job that feels normal, you know?"

Bakugo wasn't fazed by her, "Oh, how pedestrian of you. Want a trophy for that?"

She rolled her eyes, but laughed anyway. "That's right, I forgot that the great Ground Zero didn't have time for such petty things like paperwork."

"Damn straight," Bakugo sniffed and turned to leave. "No hurry your ass up. We don't have all day to stand around and talk about how great I am."

Uraraka laughed again but followed, "I remember that it was actually me that took down that thief before you even got there."

"Petty thief," Bakugo corrected her. "Quit pretending it was grand larceny."

Uraraka almost punched him, "You're just butt-hurt that you got there late."

Bakugo was irked and almost punched her too, "I let you catch that guy. We both know you needed it. Just try not to be upset that it wasn't exactly press-worthy. Like I told you before, I'm the star of that show."

"Puh-lease," Uraraka enunciated the word heavily, "You're going to regret saying that when that day comes."

Bakugo's ears perked and he gave her a testing glare, "Is that a challenge, roundface?"

"Maybe," She drawled and looked away.

Bakugo felt a twist in his chest and he took his eyes off of her. Perhaps having an actual conversation hadn't totally ruined his day. He was in a fuckin' great mood now, despite how he had been beaten to the punch by Uraraka. He knew he'd never admit that to her, so he let his previous statements stand. At least she'd done something heroic to help her cause. Ugh! Why did he even care?!

* * *

A few hours had passed since his patrol with Uraraka had ended and now Bakugo found himself at a local bar in downtown Tokyo. Clubs weren't really his thing, but clearly the gaggle of 'friends' he had around him did not feel the same way.

"Yoooo!" Kaminari plopped down on a couch beside him. "What's up, Bakugo? I haven't seen you in a while!"

Bakugo felt his fist clench around the beer can in his hand, threatening to blow it up. "Fuck off, sparky." He was seriously not in the mood for the electric dolt tonight.

"Don't mind him," Kirishima toppled onto the cushions to Bakugo's left. "He's just mad that Uraraka one-upped today. Isn't that right, buddy?" He clapped the blonde on the back and went to take another drink.

Bakugo really wanted to blow the can up now, "She did not one-up me, dipshit. I fuckin' let her win."

"Yeah yeah," Kirishima pretended that Bakugo wasn't seething beside him, "You felt bad, whatever, I don't care. Let's just have fun, huh?"

"Hell yeah! Boys night!" Sero entered the conversation and took a seat opposite of the three. "Shit, how long has it been?"

"Not long enough," Bakugo spat and leaned back in his seat, taking a long drink from his beer.

The other three let the comment go over their heads as they held up their drinks for cheers, "Come on, Bakugo! Just chill!" Kirishima elbowed the blonde to his right and held out his cup to Bakugo.

Begrudgingly, Bakugo clanked his can against Kirishima's cup and went for another drink. He figured he'd need to get fucked up if he was going to make it through the night. He paused after the drink and then decided to knock back the whole thing.

"So," Kaminari started the conversation, "I'm assuming we're going to bar-hop, right?"

"Like real college students," Kirishima fired back with a stupid as hell grin. "We deserve a night off from being heroes!"

Bakugo was feeling the warmth of the beer in his gut as he requested another from the waitress passing by. Fuck, it was going to be a long as hell night.

"We're going to have to get out of here soon though," Sero chimed in as he glanced around the room, "There isn't a whole lot to look at in here."

Bakugo knew that he was referring to the lack of women, but he didn't really care. Every time that Kirishima dragged him out, he'd just sideline and watch all the others make absolute dicks of themselves trying to pick a girl up. He didn't get it in the slightest. He definitely was not appealing to the idea of having to actually woo a woman all night in the hopes that she'd actually put out. No, it was a complete waste of time.

However, in the rare instance that they'd come on to him, they weren't exactly tens to him. He'd turn them away every time and he'd bathe in the pathetically stupefied looks on his friends' faces when he did.

Yeah, he could get girls if he wanted to. Bakugo knew he was a sharp looking guy. He never dressed down for anything and he always cleaned up good. He used to get tired of Kirishima giving him shit about it, but Bakugo had eventually learned to tune that same old lecture out. He supposed he just wasn't into it because his goals were bigger than getting laid on a friday night.

He realized that he'd been absent from the conversation for a while as his next beer was delivered. Bakugo took a quick drink as he listened to the others to catch up.

"Yeah, it's been a slow week for us too," Kirishima motioned to Bakugo. "It's like they're building up to something."

They were talking about the absence of villains on the streets for the last few days. Bakugo decided to finally enter in, "It doesn't fuckin' help that we're going to be strapped down by greenies next week either."

"Shit," Kirishima shook his head, "I keep forgetting about that."

Kaminari laughed at their predicament, "Sucks for you guys. Maybe the rest of us will finally be able to get some actual hero work done while you're busy changing diapers."

"You're the real sucker, shithead," Bakugo spat back, "At least you know that you only get the scraps I leave for you."

Kaminari's hand flew up to clutch his chest, "Wow, Bakugo. I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me. I'm touched."

Bakugo wanted to strangle that buzz-brain so bad. "Go change your tampon, sparky."

"Burn…" Sero breathed the word out with a grin.

"Let's get out of here, huh?" Kirishima started to stand up. "We don't want to start a fight at our first bar, now do we?" They'd lost count of how many times they'd done that.

Bakugo rolled his eyes as he stood up and decided to chug the beer before going to close his tab. It was definitely going to be a long night.

* * *

"Where are Momo and Tsuyu?" Uraraka found herself asking as she sat down in between Mina and Toru.

Jiro leaned over the bar from her spot on the left of Mina and waved, "Tsuyu had the weekend shift and Momo already had plans."

"Lame!" Uraraka smiled sweetly. "They're missing out!"

"Right?" Mina beamed at Uraraka's enthusiasm. "I guess they just don't love us."

Uraraka was already enjoying herself and she'd only just arrived. A few more minutes of small talk passed between the girls before the bartender dropped off an array shot glasses in front of them.

"Okay," Mina passed around the drinks. "These are called pickle shots." She motioned to the first of the two shot glasses that they'd all received. "This one is tequila… I think." She pondered for a second before moving on to the other one that was colored a dark green. "This one is pickle juice."

Uraraka wrinkled her nose at the drinks. "These don't sound so good, Mina."

"Trust me," Her pink friend placed a hand on Uraraka's forearm. "They're awesome. You just take the alcohol first and then chase it with the pickle juice."

"Are you sure?" Uraraka eyed the two tiny glasses in front of her. "I don't think this is a good idea."

She felt a hand on her back but couldn't see the action. She could hear Toru's voice beside her, "They're way good. I'll take yours if you don't want it."

"No," Uraraka felt a rush of adrenaline. "Here's to girls night!" Her burst of bravery pushed her to down the shot and then chase it with the juice. As soon as the two drinks went down her throat, she found herself gasping for air.

"Hell yeah, Uraraka!" Mina cheered and followed suit with her own shots. "That's the kind of energy I like to see!"

Uraraka couldn't wait to get the taste of pickle juice out of her mouth, but didn't get the opportunity before Mina was ordering a round of something else.

"Should we move to a table?" Jiro asked as the music in the club was cranked up.

All three girls nodded and followed as Jiro guided them toward the corner of the club where the music wasn't quite so loud. People were pouring into the place now, getting ready for fun friday night, much like the four of them were.

"I ordered us some birthday cake shots," Mina shared with them as they sat on the high chairs.

Uraraka opened her mouth to protest but Toru beat her to the punch. "You're just trying to get us all drunk right away, Mina!"

"Ugh," Mina shot them all a teasing smile, "You're on to me already, huh?" All three girls chuckled at her forward tone. "Fine, after this I will only order rounds when you ask me to, okay?"

Uraraka felt relieved. If the whole night would have been left in Mina's hands, she was sure she wouldn't make it to midnight.

"So how's the job going, Uraraka?" Jiro finally asked. "When Mina told me that you had moved into the city, I was surprised to hear it."

"It's great!" Uraraka smiled happily, "It's been a bumpy few days, but I'm getting there."

Mina rolled her eyes, "Don't even lie. You're working at the best agency in the better part of Tokyo. Give yourself some credit, girl!"

Uraraka smiled sweetly, "Well, I'm sure it would have been better if they hadn't stuck me with Bakugo on patrol. He's so serious all the time that it's hard to have fun, you know?"

"Ugh," All three girls sympathized with her but Mina was the one who spoke, "That guy is intense. At least the week is over now, so hopefully you'll be able to branch out on Monday."

"Probably," Uraraka recalled the briefing meeting, "They're having us host a class of U.A. students so I'm really looking forward to that."

Jiro ran a hand over her face, "How in the world are you excited about that?"

Uraraka tilted her head in confusion, "You guys too? Bakugo and Kirishima called them greenies."

"You have no idea what you're getting into," Toru's voice chimed in.

Uraraka glanced between the other three nervously, "What could be so bad about helping some high schoolers? That used to be us, you know? I used to love trips like this."

"We all did," Mina piped up, "Because we all thought we were total badasses that couldn't die. It definitely didn't help that we were U.A. students. I'm sure we were just as annoying as the kids are these days."

"Tell me about it," Jiro fiddled with her earphone jacks. "They're a load of cocky bastards."

"Get ready for more questions than you're prepared to answer," Toru shared and laughed without jealousy.

Mina patted Uraraka on the back, "We're going to have to take you out again next friday after the week you're about to have."

Uraraka gulped awkwardly. At her old agency, the only kids she would ever get to see were the occasional primary class that would stop by on their field trips. She loved playing with the kids and showing them her quirk. It was always a highlight when the school bus would pull up, but perhaps her friends were right. U.A. high school students were going to be an entirely new challenge.

"I pity the kid that gets stuck with Bakugo," Jiro thought aloud. "They'd better give him the most loud mouthed kid they have. That guy could use a taste of his own medicine."

Uraraka laughed with the rest of them at the thought but suddenly worried about what kind of child would be in her care. What would they be like? Would she be able to handle it? She wasn't sure anymore and she was feeling her excitement ebbing away.

"Here's our drinks!" Mina cheered as the four shot glasses were set on the table. "No chasers, right ladies?" She grabbed one and lifted it into the air.

Uraraka eyed the tall shot before her and hesitated. Oh man, she was going to feel this in the morning. All four of them pounded the shot on the table before throwing them back. Yep, she definitely was going to feel it.

* * *

 **Weeeelp, here I am again. I'm a hopeless kacchako bnha fan. I literally coudn't get home from work fast enough today to write this. I've had ideas for it swimming in my head since I woke up lol.**

 **I actually have some time to spare before bed, so maybe I'll start on the next one. Ugh the possibilities! I'm so excited.**

 **Arisa20: Thank you for the pep talk, girl. I fuckin' needed it lol I am so glad you're enjoying this! Thanks for the review :')**

 **Penrose Quinn: You are so kind that I wanted to tear up when I read your review. Thank you so much! P.s. I love you too! I hope you like this chapter too!**

 **NumberSixteen: Lol idk if you have to review that much because idk if I can handle the pressure xD But I for sure appreciate that you love it!**

 **Ok I'm going to post this now and hurry back to google docs to start on the next one. GAH I'm way too pumped for this.**

 **XOXO**


	4. Chapter 4

Bakugo had been watching Kaminari strike out all night. He was on the third attempt at the bar they were at now and it was beginning to look like yet another swing and miss. Bakugo smirked into his drink as he continued to tally up the score in his head.

In fact, none of them had gotten lucky tonight. Bakugo wasn't playing, but he was certainly the scorekeeper. It was like watching a bad reality show and this was one that he could watch all the way to the credits.

Kirishima was leaning on the bar next to him, musing with his blonde counterpart at their friend's failure. "Poor bastard," Kirishima tried hard not to slur his words, "You know that he told me he hadn't gotten laid in two months?"

Bakugo felt disgusted by the unwarranted information, "I don't want to know any more than that."

Kirishima side-eyed his friend from his spot, "Like you'd even know what that's like. You're just a celibate asshole with too much pent-up energy."

Bakugo bristled but chose not to punch the tipsy red-head, "Fuck you, Kirishima."

"Oh, come on," Kirishima nudged, "What's your deal anyway? Waiting on the right girl or something?"

Bakugo hadn't thought of it like that, "Hell no. Girls are a fuckin' royal pain in the ass. I'd sooner kill myself than have to deal with that shit." He decided to go with his normal reply. Kirishima always badgered him like this when he was drunk.

"Nah," Kirishima shook his head and stood up, "I think you've already got your eyes on someone."

Bakugo's blood boiled at that remark but he before he could throttle Kirishima's fucking throat, the red-head was paying both their tabs. "I can pay for my own," Bakugo spat instead of picking a fight.

"I already got it," Kirishima tucked his wallet back into his back pocket. "Consider it an apology."

"Apology for what?" Bakugo asked with suspicious eyes.

Kirishima polished off another portion of his drink and waved his hands around, "You know, for mentioning how you feel about… Well, I guess I shouldn't really say her name, should I?"

Before Bakugo could get the all important question in, Sero and Kaminari were stumbling back up to the bar.

"Bartender!" Kaminari yelled too loudly, waving his wallet around sporadically and nearly nailing Bakugo in the head with it. "I'd like to pay my tab!"

"Fucking hell, Sparky!" Bakugo shoved the electric blonde away from him.

"Let's get the hell out of this place," Sero teetered a bit as he tried to pull his money out of his wallet. "The chicks here are clearly blind."

Bakugo rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue, "I think they can see just fine, tape-face."

"Good one," Kirishima clapped Bakugo roughly on the back. "Alright gentlemen, we have one last place to go!" The red-head tipped the rest of his beer back and slammed the glass on the counter of the bar.

Kaminari drunkenly cheered as he tossed his tip on the counter. "I love guys night!"

Bakugo felt a spike of irritation in his chest as he moved to stand. He'd had a decent amount to drink tonight, but he was nowhere near as sloshed as Kaminari and Sero. Kirishima was just riding his buzz like he always did. Never too drunk and never too sober. Bakugo had kept a close eye on how much he'd had. He never let himself overdue it, but he was definitely feeling warm and a little bit woozy.

When the four of them stumbled out of the bar, Kaminari and Sero were asking Kirishima where they were going next.

"I'm thinking we need to somewhere chill…" Kirishima sidestepped while he tried to think and walk at the same time. "Oh shit, I better pay attention to where I'm going, eh?"

Bakugo was really starting to think about leaving early now and letting these buffoons babysit themselves. However, he liked the sound of a quieter bar. He could definitely go for a good pool game. He was fucking awesome at it and hustled extras every time. If he could get a few bucks out of it, he figured there wasn't any point in leaving.

They all trudged down the street for a while and Bakugo tried to tune out the babbling of his friends. He was losing his patience with Kirishima's shit directions. "Pay attention, hair-for-brains! Where the fuck do we go next?"

Kirishima stopped at the street corner and looked around with glazed eyes. "I think it's this way," He pointed to the left. "No, wait. It's this way," Kirishima suddenly switched to the right and wobbled forward.

"For fuck sake," Bakugo muttered and followed behind his plastered friends. They all had their arms around each other as they walked but still swayed as they went. There was no way Bakugo would be caught dead doing shit like that with those fuckers, so he just hung back.

Just as they finished passing a bar with an excessive amount of music, a voice called from behind them, "Kirishima!"

All four of them turned around and saw none other than pinky herself. "Damn it," Bakugo breathed and tried to usher his drunk friends away. He was not going to do this tonight. All he could think about was the last time he saw the acid freak and he was not interested in having a repeat of that night.

"Hey!" Kirishima pointed at the pink girl, "Look guys! It's fuckin' Mina!" The grin on his face was obnoxious as all hell.

She hurried up to them but still stumbled over herself as she came to a halt, "I saw you guys from inside! What are you all doing here?"

Bakugo definitely wanted to leave now and he was considering just backing away and disappearing completely.

"Bar hopping," Kirishima answered dumbly, leaning much too heavily on Sero. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"It's girls night!" Mina established with an all-too-happy grin.

"Fuck!" Kirishima spat and shook his head, "What are the odds of that? I fuckin' love girls night! I told Uraraka to invite me but I guess you're all too cool for me." He feigned a pout but it came off as overly childish.

Mina laughed loudly, a face-splitting grin took over her face. Bakugo wanted to cringe at them. "You're always welcome to girls night, Kirishima!" She crashed into him awkwardly for a hug. When she pulled back, she had to fight for her balance, "Where are you boys heading now?"

"That-a-way," Kirishima pointed a thumb behind him. "I can't remember what it's called, though."

Bakugo immediately rolled his eyes at his unbelievably stupid friend. Why he put up with Kirishima's shit was beyond him.

"You guys should come!" Kaminari blurted out drunkenly. "We're going to go... What did you call it, Kirishima?"

"We're going to chill," Kirishima raised his eyebrows and said the words with an obnoxious surfer-like attitude. "Chillin' like villains, am I right?"

"That sounds awesome right now," Sero grinned drunkenly.

"Mina!" Everyone looked up to see the other girls coming out the door of the bar. "What are you doing?"

Bakugo watched as earphones, invisi-girl, and roundface all gathered outside the door to observe their friend exchanging words with the boys.

"Get over here!" Mina waved them over, "Look who I found!"

"Hell yeah, get over here!" Kirishima waved slovenly. "It's girls night!"

All three girls giggled at the red-head as they wandered up. Uraraka was the one who really stuck out. She was the only one dressed normally, lacking pinky's cheetah print and earphones' goth get-up. Invisi-girl was also dressed somewhat normally, but she still blended into everything. Bakugo tried to avert his gaze and hoped Uraraka wouldn't see him. Perhaps now would be the best time to take off.

Just as he turned to start walking away from the group, he heard his name being called. He glanced over to see Uraraka waving at him. Damn it, he'd waited too long. Next time he'd have to get out at his first instinct.

He paused while she practically skipped up to him with rosy as hell cheeks. That ball of sunshine smile was definitely glued on. "So this is what your weekend plans look like, huh?" She gestured to the other six people right behind her.

Bakugo intentionally kept his eyes from looking anywhere but her face, "I fucking called it. One drink and you're over with."

Her smile didn't slip an inch, "I am not over with!" The insistence in her voice converted to a bubbling giggle.

Bakugo wanted to retort something snarky, but felt the words dry up in his mouth as she turned to prance away. She teetered a little and Sero had no problem wrapping his arm around her to steady her. Bakugo pinched his nose irritably and remained at his place a few yards away from the group.

As everyone else started to talk and make their way down the street to Kirishima's unnamed bar, Bakugo opted to follow a safe distance behind. From his experience, one of them could puke at any time and he'd be damned if it was on him.

As they walked, he found himself watching that bubbly brunette while she talked with everyone. Her smile was giddy as she exchanged hellos with all her former classmates. He finally allowed his eyes to see her completely. She was dressed cutely, he supposed. Black shorts with the suspenders hanging off the belt loops and a red button-up tank top. The shirt had some ruffles on the front and he figured they suited her.

As soon as he realized he was kind of checking her out, he looked away. Damn it, he didn't even like her. She's a second-rate hero with nothing but a goofy smile. He decided to blame it on the alcohol he'd consumed and tried to keep his eyes to himself.

When they arrived at the bar, Bakugo immediately ordered a whiskey and settled into the corner. If he distanced himself from everyone long enough for one drink, then he'd finally have an excuse to leave.

He started up his tally for his counterparts again to keep his mind busy as he sipped at the bitter drink. However, none of the other guys were even bothering with the girls dotting the irish pub-style bar. He was out of luck there.

"Bakugo!" Kirishima called from the bar. "Wanna play some pool? Boys versus girls!" He pointed to Mina and Jiro.

"Go to hell," Bakugo snapped back and decided against finishing his drink. "I'm leaving."

Kirishima gave him a disappointed look, "So soon? How am I supposed to win against these two without the grand champion at pool?"

Bakugo scowled at the trio, "Figure it out, dipshit." He adjusted his thin jacket and moved to leave.

"See you on Monday," Kirishima shrugged and waved a farewell to the blonde before following Jiro and Mina to the pool tables.

Bakugo just ignored him and all the other goodbyes from his former classmates as he ducked out of the bar. The cool night air was so refreshing once he could finally experience it alone. At least, he thought he was alone.

Uraraka was standing under a streetlamp a few yards away with her back to him, her phone pressed to her ear. She seemed to be having an argument of sorts as she pulled on the ends of her hair frustratedly.

Bakugo could barely hear her as she spoke, "I'm just out having some fun with all our old classmates. I don't see the problem with that." There was a long pause while she listened to the person on the other end of the call. "I'm fine! I can take care of myself, you know." Bakugo strained to hear what she would say next without taking another step closer. "Well if you weren't halfway across the world right now, then maybe you could be here too."

It finally registered that she was talking to Deku. Bakugo immediately frowned at the prospect and was finally ready to clear out of there. He turned on his heel toward his apartment.

"Then don't get mad at me for going out. How many times did I say we should move to Tokyo? You know I wanted to, but I stayed for you. Now look where we are." Uraraka's voice cracked with her raised tone.

Bakugo halted his exit and listened again, curious as to how this might play out.

"Sorry…" She murmured a while later. "That was uncalled for. I'm just…" She paused while she thought of the right word, "Frustrated with you right now and I drank a little more than I planned to, so I'm just a little emotional I guess."

Bakugo wished he could see the look on Deku's pathetic face right now. Just picturing it was not nearly satisfying enough. Uraraka didn't mess around when she was mad and judging by the way she looked right now, he knew she was exactly that.

"Fine." He could hear the snapping in her voice as she yanked on her hair again, "I'll talk to you tomorrow." She hurriedly hung up the phone and groaned toward the empty street. When she turned around, she was surprised to see Bakugo lingering outside the door of the bar.

"Trouble in paradise?" Bakugo smirked at her disposition.

Uraraka crossed her arms defiantly, but she didn't really come off as tough. "What's it to you?"

"My line again," Bakugo frowned at her imitation.

She let her arms drop defeatedly to her sides as she trudged back toward the bar. "I thought I was done, but now I definitely need a drink."

Bakugo eyed her as she went to re-open the door to the bar, "You're going to go hang out with all those drunk losers again?"

"Well I'm drunk, aren't I?" She sputtered and gave him a sharp look.

She must be a feisty drunk and Bakugo was almost amused by it. "Yeah, but the better question is this. Are you also a loser?"

She stopped her hand before it grabbed the handle and thought over his question. Finally, she stood back and crossed her arms again. "I'm not a loser." She puffed up her cheeks a bit and pouted.

"Be straight with me, roundface," Bakugo leaned up against the wall, "How much have you had to drink tonight?"

She looked up as she thought about it, "I don't know… A few I guess."

"Fuckin' lightweight," Bakugo scoffed.

She frowned at him, "What about you? I bet you're no better than me."

"Bold words from such a tiny person," Bakugo clicked his tongue. "Too bad you'll never find out."

Uraraka was exasperated by now, "You're so…!" She struggled to find the words.

Bakugo blinked and waited for her to finish but she never did. Instead, she just huffed angrily and dropped her arms in frustration.

"I'm what?" Bakugo finally asked, his face looked expectant but his eyes still stared at her intently.

She groaned and leaned on the wall beside him, "Annoying." She finally finished.

Yes, she was definitely a feisty drunk. "That's ironic coming from you," Bakugo scowled and looked back toward the street.

"If only I cared," She rubbed her nose with the back of her hand and followed his gaze to the road. "If getting a drink here makes me a loser, then maybe I ought to get a drink somewhere else, huh?"

Bakugo resisted the urge to look back at her again, "Definitely. Just go drink at home alone like a normal sad girl."

"Rude!" She bumped her shoulder against his and pouted once more. "I'm not sad either. I'm mad."

Bakugo scoffed at her pathetic reply, "Bullshitting gets you nowhere, roundface."

"I am!" She insisted and stood upright, "I'm going to go get a non-loser beverage, so hurry up and decide if you're coming."

"Depends," Bakugo shifted his eyes to meet hers, "I don't want to hear about your shitty problems."

"Well you don't seem like a good listener so..." Uraraka fiddled with one the suspenders hanging off her shorts and unknowingly swayed a bit, probably thanks to the alcohol. "I don't think you have to worry about that."

Bakugo leaned against the wall of the bar for another minute and pondered her invitation. The look in her eyes was a silent plea and the pout on her mouth looked childish. He figured she needed company so that she didn't end up wandering the streets alone. "Fuck, fine." He leaned off the wall and ran a hand through his hair, "But I'm not doing this to be nice. Fuck that. I'd never hear the end of it from Kirishima if I let you just wander off and get lost."

"Great, thank you." She smiled sweetly at him and teetered a little as she did.

He watched her regain her balance and shook his head, "But we're getting coffee. You've had plenty."

"You are no fun. Are you even a little bit tipsy?" She frowned at him and crossed her arms.

Bakugo scowled back at her, "Unlike some people, I can handle my booze, roundface." He turned away from her and began walking away. "Now hurry the hell up!"

"Like I said," She rolled her eyes as she got into step beside him, "You're not fun at all."

He glared at her for a moment before turning away in silence. Kirishima told him that all the time, but it had never bothered him. He didn't care if he was fun or not because it had never been important. His idea of fun was very different from other people and that worked fine for him.

They walked for a while before they came upon a street vendor that was selling cups of mediocre coffee. As Uraraka fumbled for her wallet, Bakugo rolled his eyes and decided to cover the cost.

"Here," Bakugo gruffly handed her the coffee, nearly making her drop her purse.

Her eyes widened a bit as she took it and she met his gaze with a questioning look. "Thank you," She muttered and circled it in her hands before sipping.

Bakugo wanted to cringe at himself for his uncharacteristically kind gesture. He doubted he'd ever even bought anything for Kirishima, yet here he was paying for roundface's coffee like it hardly bothered him at all. He regretted it as soon as he had done it, but he forced himself to let it go. Perhaps he'd make her pay him back on Monday.

She sipped the hot drink again and slowly wandered down the sidewalk ahead of him. He didn't follow just yet, but watched as she looked wondrously at the city around her. He felt a twist in his chest as she stopped and smiled up at the buildings and lights. "Isn't this city amazing?" She wasn't necessarily talking to him, but just saying the words in general.

He breathed out a long sigh before he walked the few yards to meet with her. He followed her starry gaze and looked up at the tall buildings surrounding them. They'd come into the older part of Tokyo where there were hole-in-the-wall noodle shops dotted among the aging businesses. The street lamps were dimming to a mustard yellow and the posters that were stuck to them were so faded that they were unrecognizable.

"I already love this place so much," Uraraka breathed and clutched her coffee with excitement. "I can't believe I ever put off living here."

Bakugo stopped looking around to look down at her. She had closed her eyes and let the ambiance of the city engulf her. "So why didn't you just do it?"

Her trance was broken at his question and her eyes fluttered open to see him staring at her. She didn't realize she'd been standing on her tiptoes and she felt her heels fall back to their normal place. "Why didn't I just do it? That is such a complicated question. There's a million reasons why I didn't."

"Tch," Bakugo clicked his tongue with impatience, "If you wanted to, then you should have done it."

"It's not really that simple," Uraraka smiled softly and shook her head. "Besides, I thought you didn't want to hear about my problems."

Bakugo tore his eyes away from her, willing himself to not care. "I don't. I just think it's stupid when people stop following their dreams for other people."

"I didn't stop following my dreams, Bakugo. I just-" Uraraka was cut off before she could finish her thought.

"I don't want to hear it," Bakugo scowled at nothing in particular. "It's just an excuse."

She fell silent after that, circling the coffee between her hands again. She sighed defeatedly and she felt her love for the city be overwhelmed with a feeling of regret. She supposed that Bakugo wasn't all that wrong when he called it an excuse. When she put her life on hold for Deku, she had also put her dreams of being an actual pro hero on hold as well. At the time, she knew she'd been destined for more, but she still settled for the sake of a relationship. For the first time, Uraraka actually felt guilty for hindering herself.

Bakugo watched her stare down at the lid on her coffee for a while. Clearly, she was thinking about something pretty hard. In the few minutes he'd been with her since they left the bar, he'd picked up on the fact that she was especially easy to read when she had been drinking.

He saw a few emotions pass over her face in that time. First, there was frustration, then there was realization. Finally, she looked sad. Her manicured fingers gripped the coffee cup tighter as she passed away from sadness and back into frustration.

"You're right," Uraraka admitted after her long bout of silence. "It was just an excuse."

Bakugo normally would have utilized his smart mouth at this time, but instead spoke up again. "Then fuckin' do something about it, roundface. Making yourself miserable isn't going to help you."

Uraraka knew that Bakugo's advice was rare and definitely harsh with truth. She'd never seen him be this genuine. In all their years of school together, he'd always been the judgemental bully. However, in this moment, he seemed almost like a friend. She felt a small smile break onto her face, "Thank you, Bakugo."

The blonde was slightly taken aback and he was shocked at his own words. In an effort to regain his usual demeanor, he fixed a scowl on his face and glared. "Don't ever fuckin' mention it."

She kept on grinning like a fucking idiot at him, "I won't."

He was irked but decided not to push it, "Hurry up and call a damn cab for yourself or something. I want to leave."

She sipped the coffee again and shook her head. "I'm pretty sure I live nearby. I can walk from here."

"Pretty sure?" Bakugo rolled his eyes. "Damn it, roundface. Do you even know where we are?"

She glanced around them, "Well, I sort of recognize that place," She pointed down the street at a bookstore.

He regretting putting himself in this situation more with each passing moment. "I'm not going to let you walk alone, so get moving." He tossed his drink in a garbage can a few feet away. The coffee tasted like shit anyway. He turned around and saw her still looking around, "Well?"

"Sorry," She giggled lightly. "I think it's this way," She marched ahead of him.

"If this isn't the way to your apartment, I'll kill you." Bakugo felt better getting back to his normal self as he followed her away. "I'm serious, roundface."

She turned herself halfway around as she continued to lead the way, "Yeah, yeah. Sensitive Bakugo is gone now, I get it."

Oh, she was back to being sassy now? Bakugo felt a flurry of insults bubbling up his throat. She'd regret that statement.

* * *

When Uraraka woke up the next morning, she found that she had slept in her clothes. Her hair was stuck to her face and her makeup had smeared onto her pillow. She glanced at the time and saw that it was nearly midday. Had she really slept that long?

She climbed out of bed and immediately took a shower, washing away all the stickiness from the bar she'd been in last night. As she recalled the events of the night, she finalized them into one thought. Weird. Last night had been very weird.

After getting dressed, she felt a lot better. As she dried her hair with her pink towel, she finally wandered over to her purse and dug out her phone. Clearly, the device had been blown up at some point after she'd gotten home. She had missed calls and texts from Mina, all of which were concerned for her well-being and asking where she was. She typed out a quick reply that everything was okay and that she had simply left early. She figured it was best if she left out the part concerning Bakugo.

She browsed the other notifications until she saw the two missed calls from Deku. For the first time in the last three years, she really didn't care that she'd missed his calls. She also didn't feel a rush to call him back. Instead of trying him back, she decided to send a text.

" _Sorry I missed your calls. I got home kinda late."_

She dropped the phone on her nightstand as she began to gather up her dirty laundry off her bedroom floor. She didn't think Deku would respond for a while, considering it was the middle of the night in America, so she put herself to work on cleaning up her bedroom. She'd certainly made a mess after she got home last night.

She gathered up the snacks from the floor that she must have brought to bed with her and wandered out of her bedroom toward the kitchen. When she started restoring said snacks back to their rightful homes, she heard her phone ringing loudly in the other room.

She jogged back over just in time to see Deku's name lighting up the screen. She sighed hesitantly before deciding to answer it.

"Hey Deku," She tried to sound genuine.

"Hey," His voice sounded concerned on the other end, "Is everything okay?"

She sat down on her bed and pulled up one knee to her chest, "Yeah, I just woke up."

"Alright," She could hear a dryness in his tone, "I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

She closed her eyes with irritation, "Of course I am. I can take care of myself, you know?"

He hesitated on his response, "Yes, I know. I just couldn't help but worry."

"Why?" She ran a hand over her face and already regretted her argumentative tone.

She could hear a tired sigh from the other end of the call, "Are you sure you're okay, Ochako?"

Hearing her name through the phone felt so foreign all of a sudden. Deku only used her first name on rare occasions and it didn't feel right to hear it now. "I'm fine, Deku."

He paused again and she could practically see the concern on his face, "Are we okay?"

"Yes," She said much too quickly and she could feel the frustration building in her gut. "I just don't like feeling like you think I'm just a helpless puppy."

"Alright then," Deku's tone was also somewhat annoyed now. "I'm just trying to make sure that you're doing okay. I didn't know that was a problem, so I'm sorry."

"Well if you were here, you wouldn't have to wonder," The words slipped out before Uraraka could catch them. She felt immediate guilt at the harshness of them. "Sorry, I didn't mean for that to come out that way."

Deku sighed through the phone again. "It's fine, Uraraka." His words said one thing, but his short tone said another. "I'm just going to call you later."

"Yeah, okay." She closed her eyes and let the anger in her gut fizzle away. "I'll talk to you soon."

Deku hung up right after she finished her last sentence. She held the phone out in front of her face to see the blinking screen, signalling the end of their call. That did not go well at all. She dropped the phone into her lap and tried not to dwell on her irritation.

She huffed and glanced around her tiny bedroom. Everything in there had a memory attached to it. Many of them had their memory attached to Deku in one way or another. As she pulled up her other knee to her chest, she couldn't help but feel like a stranger in her own home.

She and Deku rarely fought. In fact, she couldn't think of any time they'd disagreed over anything more than choice of restaurant. When he'd left Japan, she'd assumed that it would be easy for them to maintain their relationship despite the distance. How naive of her.

It had only been a little over a week since he left and she could already feel the distance so heavily. The fact that they still had at least another year of this was a daunting thought and Uraraka wasn't sure how to feel about it.

Unsuspectingly, Bakugo's advice from last night rushed into her mind. He'd told her that misery wasn't going to do her any favors. It wasn't any kind of special advice at all, but she could feel the weight of those words right now. Was she miserable? She didn't think she was. In fact, she'd never considered misery as how she felt out of the last three years with Deku at all.

But on the other hand, she definitely hadn't felt truly happy. Well, she was happy, but never elated. When they'd gotten together after graduation, it had been so easy and unpressured. When he'd told her that he planned to stay close to U.A., she'd conceded and agreed to stay, telling herself that they could always move to Tokyo later down the road.

Three years flew by and she was only just now getting what she always wanted. She lived in Tokyo now and she had an amazing job that she could use to help her parents in ways that she only dreamt of since she got out of high school. She couldn't shake the feeling that it had only happened because Deku was thousands of miles away from her.

If he hadn't gotten the offer, how long would she have stayed with him in their small city? Deku always traveled out of town to work on specialized missions, and even when he was in town, he never really was all the way there.

She reflected on the history of her relationship and felt a semblance of shame. She rested her chin on her knees and pushed the thoughts away. Perhaps she was just over-analyzing. It was habit she was sure she'd picked up from Deku, so maybe all these new thoughts were just because she was angry with him right now.

This was all too complex to deal with when she was nursing a hangover. Maybe she just needed some fresh air. So in true Uraraka fashion, she pulled herself off the bed and kicked on some sandals. A walk around the block would help, she was sure of it. Her smile wouldn't feel fake for much longer.

She grabbed her purse and a bottle of water before exiting her apartment. The sun was burdensome on her growing headache, but anything was better than being alone with her thoughts in her tiny apartment. She was sure she'd feel worse if she stayed in.

* * *

 **Wow that chapter was super hard to write. I had written nothing but crap, so I decided to start over again when I got home from work today.**

 **Anywaaaay, I really hope you guys like this! I got a little bit of *sensitive* Bakugo in here. But damn it, he really doesn't want to care, does he?**

 **NumberSixteen: You are too kind my dear. Thanks for the review! :D**

 **Penrose Quinn: Yeah, I'm having such a good time writing this that I'm pumping out chapters as quickly as I can write them! I'm glad you're liking this :) I hope this chapter gave you a little bit of what you wanted lol :D**

 **Rhea: You are so sweet! Thank you for your wonderful review. I'm updating pretty quickly (as long as my work life allows it lol) so you shouldn't have to wait super long for updates. I'm really glad you like this. Your feedback is good to hear!**

 **sevas007: I am so glad you posted your review when you did because I was like 30 seconds away from an upload. Thanks to your good timing, I could get a comment in to you! Your review is so nice and thank you so much :') It's always good to know that there are other die hard kacchako fans out there. I'm telling you, we're a minority xD Thanks for your nice words! I hope you like this one!**

 **I'm going to get some sleep and start the whole chapter writing process again tomorrow.**

 **XOXO**


	5. Chapter 5

When Uraraka entered the office on Monday morning, she could immediately tell that the dynamic was different. Everyone seemed anxious and frazzled. As she entered the briefing room, she observed a silent atmosphere filled with dread.

Sitting down in front of Bakugo, she looked nervously between the blonde and Kirishima. "So," She started, "When do the U.A. students arrive?"

Kirishima rubbed his eyes, already feeling the headache coming on, "Any minute now."

"This is fucking stupid," Bakugo tapped a finger on the table in front of him while he rested his chin in his other hand.

A few minutes passed before two people came through the door. Edgeshot, the prolific number four hero, was followed by none other that Aizawa. They made their way to the podium and looked out at the group of heros before them.

"Good morning," Edgeshot greeted. "I'd like to to begin our meeting with a thank you to U.A. High School for bringing your students to study at my agency. We take great pride in being a major component in your students' training and providing them with real world experience." He paused to allow the heroes before him awkwardly nod and clap. "Many of you know Eraser Head from your own studies at U.A. High. You, most of all, know how important these short internships were to your journey to becoming a pro hero. I expect that you will extend the same level of guidance and temperance that you received in your student days to this new generation of future heroes. You have much to teach them and they are here to learn."

Aizawa took the podium next, with his normal level of underwhelming excitement. "We thank you all for having us here. You will all be working with students from our first year classes. They are impressionable individuals, so exercise restraint and patience with them as they learn from you. I'm have no doubts that they will be safe in your hands."

Uraraka couldn't help but smile at the familiar face of her former teacher. She'd seen Aizawa many times since high school ended, as she had remained living near the school. All-Might still taught there as well, so she and Deku would swing by every so often and run into the monotonously short-tempered teacher on their way to see the former symbol of peace.

As the meeting continued, she began to feel some of her excitement returning. She pushed aside all the thoughts that her former classes had instilled in her and decided to focus on having a positive impact on the students. They were there to learn from her, so she was determined to teach until she dropped.

As the meeting drew to a close, Edgeshot took the podium one last time. "We will be assigning you each a student. This student will remain under your supervision at all times. As I am sure you are aware, these students have not acquired provisional licenses, so they are prohibited from providing assistance in the case of a villainous attack. You will patrol with them, advise them, and most importantly, you will provide them with one-on-one training. Make use of the skills you have developed and teach them how to be heros."

The meeting ended and everyone began getting ready to leave. Bakugo leaned over and grabbed his duffle bag from beside his chair and growled about the entire circumstance.

"I'm thinking this will be fun," Uraraka smiled sweetly at Kirishima.

The red-head patted her on the head and smiled back, "You're so excited now, but get ready to have your soul crushed."

Bakugo sniffed at them and turned toward the door. This assignment was only two days and he'd mentored a student last year. He doesn't remember it being particularly hard, it was more pointless than anything. He left the room without a word and headed toward the locker rooms.

Once he had his hero costume on, he felt ready to beat a little shit into submission. Last year, he'd gotten a mute. Yes, a mute. So all his intimidation tactics that included any kind of verbal exchange had been rendered obsolete. It was the most annoying shit of his life.

He was mildly curious about his student this year. He was sure anything would be better than a mute. He crossed into the training center to see Aizawa standing before a group of students. Some of the other heroes in the agency were already conversing with their assigned students and Bakugo frowned.

"Bakugo," Aizawa greeted as he approached the group.

"It's Ground Zero now," Bakugo spat and clenched his fist. "Which of these shit nerds needs an ass-kicking so bad that you gave them to me?"

Aizawa did not look impressed, "Oh believe me, Bakugo. We found you a great match."

Great, it's probably another mute. "Well don't just stand there," Bakugo rolled his eyes, "I don't have all day."

Just as he finished the statement, All-Might entered the picture. He still was a gaunt man, but he had aged. Bakugo hadn't seen the former first rate hero since he graduated, so he tried not to smile at the sudden reunion.

"Young Bakugo!" All-Might's eyes lit up with a smile. "Look how you've grown!"

"Yeah yeah," Bakugo tried to hold his frown. "Maybe you've just shrunk some more, old man."

The blonde was not prepared for All-Might to suddenly activate the remnant of his quirk into two fingers for a surprisingly strong flick to his forehead. Before he could react to it, he was sliding across the floor of the training center on his ass.

"Damn it, All-Might," Bakugo leapt to his feet and glared. "What was that for?" His red eyes were lit up with intensity, but his lips were twitching to grin.

All-Might closed the distance between himself at the explosive hero, toting a young girl alongside him. "Bakugo, this is Ritsu. She's in the 1-A class."

Bakugo immediately sized the girl up. She was slender and tall for her age. He could immediately tell that her hair had been dyed black as her roots were blonde. Her hero costume was certainly nothing to call home about. In fact, it wasn't anything more than a t-shirt and jeans. He scowled at her appearance but she immediately scowled back, crossing her arms defiantly.

All-Might patted her on the shoulder and looked happily over at Bakugo, "She reminded us a lot of you, so we figured you two would be a perfect fit."

Bakugo immediately tensed, "I don't deal with problem children."

"I don't deal with problem adults," Ritsu snapped back, surprising her new mentor.

Bakugo turned his glare down on her, "Shut up, kid."

"Have fun, you two!" All-Might shoved the girl forward and turned to walk away.

Bakugo gaped at All-Might's exit for a moment, but was broken from the thought

"What do I even call you, anyway?" The girl's voice was laced with malice.

Bakugo glared at her, "The fuck kind of question is that? I'm Ground Zero."

She smirked right away, "Whatever."

Bakugo frowned and looked away. He could already tell that this shitstain had a smart mouth and he didn't like it. He was mildly distracted from her as he spotted a bubbly brunette entering the auditorium. She smiled at him briefly before skipping over to see Aizawa. He wanted to smirk back at her, but decided against it.

Ritsu stared at him a moment longer. "I'm not a shitstain. However, I do have a smart mouth."

Visibly irked, Bakugo turned his glare back onto her and narrowed his eyes, "Why the fuck would you say that, shitstain?"

She shrugged, "Because I just read your mind."

* * *

When Uraraka entered the large training room, she immediately noticed Bakugo standing a little ways off with a young girl. They seemed to already be having a little spat and that didn't surprise her. When the blonde looked up and saw her, she smiled sweetly in hopes that her positivity would keep her coworker from blowing up on the girl.

She approached her former homeroom teacher and turned her beam toward him, "Mr. Aizawa! I'm so happy to see you!"

"Uravity," Aizawa recognized her with a simple nod of his head. "I see you're doing well. Midoriya told me that you had transferred out here."

She laughed lightly and pulled on a strand of her hair, "Yeah, I figured with Deku in America, now would be the best time to move out here to Tokyo."

Aizawa nodded his head again and motioned for her to follow. She smiled again and did as he asked. He led her around the class of students before he stopped and motioned to the student before them.

"Uravity, meet Yoshio." Aizawa presented a young man with a sleek blue costume. It was not an elaborate costume by any means, but it appeared to have a few quirk enhancing attributes along the arms and waist. He had casual brown hair and blue eyes, but his expression seemed nonchalant.

"Hello," Uraraka held her hand out for him to shake with her signature smile. "I'm Uravity. It's so nice to meet you!"

Before she could react, he had spat in his palm and grabbed her hand to shake. As soon as he had grabbed her, she wanted to react and jump away in disgust. However, her body was frozen in place.

"Wha-What is this?" She sputtered, trying to will her body to move.

Yoshio drew his hand back and smirked, "It's my quirk. My saliva paralyzes people."

"Yoshio," Aizawa snapped curtly, "Release your quirk or I will take it." He widened his eyes threateningly.

The boy rolled his eyes before Uraraka felt the paralysis lift off of her. She immediately stood up right and wiped her hands on her pants. "That a… Er… Interesting quirk you have there!"

"We figured you could teach him a thing or two about the need to get close to your target," Aizawa turned back to Uraraka. "Your quirks have that in common."

Uraraka forced a light laugh and nodded weakly, "You can count on me!"

Aizawa nodded back at her and turned away, "It was nice to see you, Uravity."

She watched him walk away for a moment before returning her attention to her student. "Well I only get to have you for two days, so I suppose we should get to work."

Yoshio stared back at her with a frown but didn't say anything. She wondered briefly if he was typically this stoic. She also made a mental note to keep a close eye on him. If he paralyzed her in a time of crisis, then she wouldn't be able to perform her hero duties and that could be very dangerous.

She led the way out of the training room, glancing one last time at Bakugo. He was still busy quarreling with his student and it was somewhat comforting to see. At least she wasn't the only one having trouble.

* * *

Patrol was tense and Bakugo tried to block it out of his mind. Ever since this stupid greenie had said that she could read minds, he had felt extremely on edge. When he had demanded to know more about her quirk, she'd been exceptionally tight lipped about it. It was really grating on his nerves.

The day was reaching the halfway point as they neared the end of their patrol route. Bakugo was very much looking forward to their training time that afternoon. Perhaps he'd be able to finally exact some revenge on her annoying quirk.

"Hey, Ground Stupid!" The greenie's voice tore him away from his pondering. "This is super boring. Are we almost done?"

He seethed at her lame excuse for a nickname, "It's Ground _Zero,_ shithead! Now fuckin' can it. I didn't say you were allowed to speak." He didn't so much as glance her way once, but instead trudged forward with an annoyed look on his face.

"So what? I want to get some training in." She punched her right fist into her left palm.

So many thoughts raced through Bakugo's head at that moment. The first thing he wanted to do was pick a fight with the U.A. teachers for their shit choices. Then, he wanted to do the same thing to Edgeshot. Lastly, he wanted to make this little brat shut the hell up. He doesn't banter with anyone on patrol, let alone speak at all. The only person that he was okay with doing that was Uraraka and that had been a one time deal. He wouldn't be caught dead doing that again.

"If you tried to pick a fight with the U.A. teachers, I don't think you'd win." Ritsu stated bluntly and crossed her arms across her chest.

Bakugo clenched his jaw tightly and tried to remain composed, but he could feel his patience becoming paper thin. "I picked fights with them all the time in high school. I could kick their asses ten times over now, stupid kid. Quit reading my mind!"

She shrugged slightly and smirked, "You just make it too easy. You stupid grown-ups give everything away."

"The fuck is that supposed to mean?" Bakugo felt his hands twitch with the urge to blow something up.

"You guys don't hide your thoughts at all," She stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "At least my classmates put up a fight. They're smarter than that."

Bakugo pondered the consequences of picking a real fight with her at this point, "If you're smart, then you'll shut the hell up."

"Before you make me?" She finished his thought for him. "Yeah, I already knew you were going to say that but I also know you aren't serious."

The explosive hero snapped his angry red eyes onto her, "Wanna test me, brat?"

She immediately backed down, inevitably seeing the shift in his attitude from snarky to serious. "Geez man, I'm just kidding around."

"Get the fuck out of my head," Bakugo spat at her and hurried forward a few paces. "You shouldn't be reading the thoughts of your superiors. It won't get you anywhere but into trouble."

She quickened her pace to match his, "Then don't make it so easy."

He knew he was reaching his wit's end. He hustled forward in silence and tried to think of something to relax him. Perhaps he would be able to find something to annihilate when they got back to the training room. It had been a while since he'd gotten the opportunity to blow something to smithereens.

He led his young patrol partner around a corner and immediately recognized the place. Only a few days ago he had watched Uraraka take down that petty thief in this very spot. He mused for a moment as he recalled it. She'd taken that guy down like a badass on a mission. He'd gotten such a kick out of it that he no longer felt bitter about her stealing the arrest.

"You have a habit of giving people nicknames," Ritsu started again. "You think about roundface a lot. Who is she?"

Bakugo was completely taken off guard by her question. He stopped in his tracks and worked up the most intense glare he could give, "That is none of your business, brat."

She didn't shrink back at all when faced with his glowering gaze, "Fair enough." She crossed her arms and glared back. "I'm losing sight of your thoughts anyway, so I'll just have to wait to find out."

The blonde didn't know if he should be riled up or relieved. It was killing him that he couldn't quite figure out how her quirk worked yet. It was an even bigger problem that she wouldn't tell him. It was annoying as all hell.

"Don't mention that name around me again," Bakugo finally spat out at her before he rushed to complete their patrol. Why he felt so defensive about it, he didn't know. All he knew was that he didn't want to talk about it, especially to a first year high school student. Uraraka wasn't anything special and there is no way he thought about her enough to warrant any questions.

The patrol ended in silence when they'd finally arrived back at the agency. As they got inside, he gruffly instructed her to meet him in the training room. He needed to take care of some business first.

He burst into the conference room with a fiery purpose, but was only met by Edgeshot. "Where are those bastards?" The question came out as a snarl.

The pro hero leaned back in his chair, taking his gaze away from the documents in front of him. "They've gone to monitor the activities of their students. Speaking of, where is yours?"

"Doesn't matter," Bakugo snapped. "I need to talk to them now."

Edgeshot laid his pen down on the table and sighed, "I don't have time for this right now and neither do you. You have been given a duty, so go and do it."

Bakugo fumed with irritation, "Not until someone tells me how the brat's quirk works."

"Ground Zero," Edgeshot replied sternly. "You are a pro hero. Figure it out."

The blonde scoffed but shut up. He pondered arguing further, but instead opted to leave and slam the door behind him. Damn it, his day was going to shit fast.

* * *

Uraraka was relieved to get away from her student for a while when lunch break came around. Yoshio wasn't difficult by any means, but he certainly liked to try and catch her off guard. She felt like she was having to constantly keep one eye on him or he'd pull the same trick on her again. Yes, he'd paralyzed her three times already.

The thing she was struggling with most was the discipline. How do you discipline an unruly child? She wasn't the type to get angry or to even get annoyed, but this kid was really testing her and she didn't know what to do about it.

She had really hoped that this entire process would be wholesome and fun, but she was learning quickly that it was naive of her to think that way. She needed to think of a solution quickly.

When she entered her small office, she was thrilled to have a few minutes alone. She grabbed her lunch and sat down at her desk to eat. Mentoring a student took a lot more out of her than she'd anticipated and it caused her to plow through her small meal.

A knock came to her office door and she looked up to see All-Might.

"Uraraka!" He greeted her cheerfully. "I was hoping I'd get a chance to see you today."

"Hello," She smiled sweetly at him and gestured for him to sit down.

He shut the door behind him and plopped down into her only other chair. "How is Tokyo treating you so far?"

"I love it," She gushed and began cleaning up her ravished food. "I'm so glad that I'm finally here!"

All-Might nodded at her and put his hands together before him. "That's good to hear. Midoriya had told me that you seemed to be enjoying it."

She shrugged cheerily, "It just feels right, you know?"

"Well," All-Might leaned back in the chair, "I'm glad to hear that. Are you and Midoriya doing well?"

She paused and felt a tug on her heart. "Of course we are. Did he say something to you?"

The former number one hero sighed softly and looked at his hands, "No, not really. He just told me you seemed distracted."

She wasn't sure what to think about this conversation now. "Is that all he told you?"

He shifted uncomfortably under her inquisitive gaze, "I just told him that I'd find some time to check up on you and see how you were doing. I'm glad to see you're doing well."

She felt a surge of annoyance bubble in her gut by this. "I am," She replied curtly, forcing a manufactured smile on her face. She stood up quickly and brushed her hands off. "I really should be getting back, though."

All-Might followed suit and stood up, "Of course." He retreated toward the door.

"You can tell Deku that I'm getting stronger," She said the words before she could stop herself. "I'm finally getting to do real hero work."

All-Might looked somewhat uncertain of her words, but nodded anyway. "It was nice seeing you, Uraraka." He left the door open behind him.

She sighed after he was out of sight and immediately felt drained. The annoyance in her gut was building, but she stamped it back down. Of course Deku would be worried about her. After their little fight, she didn't know what to say to him. She had decided against calling him yesterday in favor of not being upset, but now she was only feeling more strained.

As she exited her office, she tried to push her troubles away. It would not help her student if her mind was elsewhere. She could deal with this at a better time.

* * *

Bakugo's one-on-one training was not going well at all. He was hardly keeping his patience intact as he tried to help Ritsu learn how to fight. She'd adopted his mannerism for nicknames and he was constantly having to correct her. It was wearing on his stability.

Her quirk didn't do much for her other than allow her to dodge. Her attacks were miscalculated and a mess. He figured she'd be at an advantage from the get-go, but she still hadn't been able to land anything concrete on him yet. He was slowly realizing that she needed more hand-to-hand combat training.

It was infuriating to try and teach her though. Her fighting style was a far cry from his and he was struggling to find something that would suit her abilities. She wasn't bulky, heavy, or strong so she lacked to the ability to overpower an opponent with brute force alone. Her other problem was that her quirk didn't allow her much protection either. Although she could read his attacks before he performed them, she wasn't always fast enough to get away.

They'd been at it all afternoon and he felt like he hadn't gotten anywhere. She was shit at listening and even worse at trying to mimic the approaches he had taught her. He felt like he had done nothing but beat up on a child by the end of it.

He glowered at everyone as the day finally ended and he left the office. He hadn't been in this bad of a mood in a long time. He couldn't wait to get back to his place and finally work on forgetting this stupid as hell day.

"Yo, Bakugo!" Kirishima's voice called. "Wait up, man!"

This was exactly what he didn't need. Kirishima's stupid face wouldn't do anything but piss him off more. "Get lost, shithead!"

The redhead ignored the comment as he jogged up next to Bakugo, "Hey dude! How did it go with the mind reader?"

"Fuck off, Kirishima." Bakugo sneered and hoped it would scare him off.

"That bad?" Kirishima teased and cackled, "Kazue and I are actually doing really well together. That kid has spunk, let me tell you."

Bakugo really didn't want to hear about how great of a day Kirishima had. Knowing the stupid redhead was going to rub it in, Bakugo tossed over a threatening look. "Shut the hell up, dipshit. I don't have time for this."

"I saw you guys in the training room," Kirishima didn't hesitate. "I have to say, I'm so glad I'm not you."

The urge to strangle that shithead was so severe that Bakugo's hand twitched. "Well it would be fucking great if I knew how that brat's quirk worked!"

Kirishima hummed with recognition, "So you don't know how she activates it, huh?"

"Fuck no I don't," Bakugo clenched his fists. "It's goddamn annoying! She's fucking lucky that she's a kid otherwise it wouldn't matter."

Kirishima tapped his chin, "Is it possible she can read minds all the time? That would be so helpful. I'm actually kind of jealous."

"No," Bakugo shook his head angrily, "She can only do it sometimes, but I can't figure out how!"

"Well," Kirishima clapped Bakugo on the back roughly, "I'm sure a smart guy like you can figure it out."

Bakugo shoved the redhead away from him, "Piss off. I'm leaving."

"Don't blow anything up on your way home!" Kirishima teased and waved a farewell.

The blonde marched away and Kirishima could practically see the fumes of irritation radiating off him. He chuckled to himself at Bakugo's predicament and once again felt thankful for the student he'd been paired with. He supposed he was fortunate for getting a fun kid that likes to mess around as much as he does.

When Bakugo finally disappeared into the rush hour crowd, Kirishima mused to himself about the secret he was sitting on. It had been a few days since they'd all gone out drinking, and he wondered if Bakugo would ever fess up to leaving with Uraraka.

Kirishima wasn't blind. He was also aware that Bakugo still hadn't realized that he was starting to crush on the brunette. It was almost comical to the redhead. Bakugo always spent so much time telling him that he was the stupid one, but this time Kirishima felt like the roles were reversed.

He recalled the previous friday night. When Bakugo had insisted that he was leaving, Kirishima had let him. However, a few minutes after the blonde had left, Kirishima noticed that another member of their party was also missing.

He'd abruptly abandoned his pool game and wandered over to the door of the bar, curiosity piquing his interest. When he glanced through the glass on the door, he spotted Uraraka turning away from it and pouting. She was talking to someone just out of his line of sight.

He dared to creep closer, hoping to catch a glimpse of the other person. He watched as Uraraka had become flustered and she seemed to huff and puff about something. Finally, she seemed to find the words she wanted to say and went to lean on the wall.

Kirishima urgently wanted to know what they were saying. He figured that the only person she could be talking to was his hot-blooded friend and if he wasn't mistaken, he'd say they appeared flirty. He waited at the door for a few more minutes, hoping to see more than just the wall they were clearly hiding behind.

Eventually, he saw Uraraka appear again. She played with the suspenders on her shorts while she talked and swayed back and forth unknowingly. She broke out into a goofy smile for a moment before frowning. At this point, he was sure it was Bakugo that she was talking to. But before he could confirm it, she was walking away.

He waited a few minutes before going to peek outside. He hadn't noticed Mina come up to stand beside him and she demanded to know what he was doing. When he began to explain, she shut him up and insisted that he leave them alone. She also was quick to point out that Uraraka was spoken for, so it really wasn't any of his business anyway.

Kirishima had spent the rest of the weekend trying not to bother Bakugo. He was dying of curiosity, but he didn't want to push it. If he got involved in his blonde friend's business too quickly, he was sure that Bakugo would wall him out. He certainly didn't want to scare the blonde away from his first crush either. It was a delicate situation, so Kirishima had decided to leave it alone.

He just hoped that Bakugo would come to him first when he realized his own feelings.

* * *

Uraraka dumped her load of dirty clothes into one of the many machines at the laundromat and sighed with relief. She usually did her laundry on sundays but she'd spent the entire day unpacking the last of her boxes in her apartment. She felt happy that she was finally getting close to finishing her move.

She dumped some detergent in and began the wash cycle before turning to find a place to sit. She'd picked up a new book and was excited to start on it. As she wandered across the laundromat, she couldn't help but notice a tuft of ashen hair sticking out from behind a row of washing machines. She would recognize those spikes anywhere.

Rounding the corner, her suspicions were confirmed. Bakugo was seated in the line of chairs, playing with his phone. He seemed uncharacteristically casual. He had sports shorts on and a plain red t-shirt. His laundry basket sat empty at his feet aside from the bottle of detergent and a box of dryer sheets.

When she approached him, his eyes snapped up to see her. He looked surprised for a moment, but his mouth just a quicky turned to a frown. "The hell are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing, but isn't it obvious?" She lifted her own basket up a little bit to emphasize.

He didn't change his attitude, "No shit, roundface. I meant why are you at this laundromat?"

She shrugged and padded over to him, "It's the only one around here that takes cash."

He stiffened as she sat down beside him, "Of course it fucking is."

She dropped her basket down beside his and leaned back in her chair. "Well at least I have some company now."

"I prefer silence," He grumbled and turned his attention back to his phone.

"Of course you do," She quipped and waved her book around. "I have a book to read anyway, so I guess you're in luck." She plopped it down on her lap and flipped it open to begin reading.

It was quiet for a few minutes and Bakugo finally turned to see what book she was reading. As she flipped the page, he caught sight of the cover. "A romance. Really, roundface? I guess I shouldn't be surprised you'd like that sappy shit."

She looked slightly offended, "I am a girl, you know?" She shut the book and turned her attention onto him. "If it's so dumb, then what do you read for fun?"

He narrowed his eyes to glare at her, "Battle strategy, quirk extension guides, all the other books that a pro should be reading."

She rolled her eyes, "That doesn't sound fun to read. Okay then, what's your favorite book?" She paused to think, "More specifically, what's your favorite fiction book?"

He didn't budge on his glare, but he did appear to think about it for a moment. "Like I'd tell you. It's none of your damn business."

"Well we are stuck here, aren't we?" She gestured to the laundromat around them. "You might as well share."

He began to be suspicious of her right away. Was she stealing some tips from Kirishima's book of annoyances? "A Game of Thrones. Happy?"

She seemed to weigh his answer in her head for a few minutes. "I guess it makes sense. I didn't peg you for a fantasy guy, but now that I think about it…" She trailed off as she thought about it further.

"Don't over analyze that shit, roundface." He finally looked away from her and back down at his phone game.

She smiled slightly and leaned forward in her chair. "My favorite book is Pride and Prejudice. It's such a beautiful story."

"Figures," Bakugo scoffed, "Deku is just a regular Mr. Darcy, isn't he?"

Uraraka's expression turned puzzled, "He's nothing like Mr. Darcy." Just as she finished her statement, she jumped to a look of surprise. "You've read Pride and Prejudice?"

Bakugo kicked himself, "It's a fucking classic. Blame my mother, that old hag made me read it."

"Don't pretend like you didn't love it," She teased and sat back again. "How did your day go?"

Bakugo clenched his jaw at the question. "For fuck sake, what did Kirishima blab to you?"

She raised her eyebrows at him questioningly, "Nothing. I haven't talked to Kirishima today. What happened?"

Bakugo kicked himself again. How did he always set himself up for shit like this? "That shitstain can read my damn mind. She doesn't know shit about hand-to-hand combat either. It's fucking annoying. This is why greenies suck."

She muffled her laughter, "Well at least I'm not the only one having trouble."

He gave her a questioning look, "You finally get it now, don't you roundface?"

"Do I?" She giggled, "Yoshio doesn't do anything I ask him to do. I'm worried that all he wants to do is look for the next opportunity to spit on me."

"Spit on you?" Bakugo's face wrinkled with disgust, "Why the hell would he do that?"

"It paralyses you." She stated and noted that his expression didn't change. "Yeah, I know. It's super gross."

"That's fucking disgusting," Bakugo looked away. "It sounds like that kid needs a real ass-kicking. He's lucky he didn't get me."

Uraraka chuckled again and ruffled the pages of the book in her hands, "It sounds like your kid needs someone to teach her some actual hand-to-hand combat too. I'm surprised that they didn't assign her to me. I'm great at teaching stuff like that. I pity her for having to learn it from you."

"Is that supposed to be an insult, roundface?" Bakugo snapped and gave her a threatening look.

"It's not an insult if it's the truth," Uraraka met the challenge his eyes presented.

Bakugo felt a smirk twitching at his lips. She'd developed a much smarter mouth since high school and he liked it. "I'm fucking great at teaching people how to fight. I'm a damn good fighter."

"Just because you're great at something doesn't mean you're great at teaching it." She said the words without thinking about it, but it sprouted an idea in her brain. "Hang on," She sat up suddenly and smiled. "You're bad at teaching someone how to fight and I'm bad at giving discipline."

Bakugo paused as she worked out the thoughts in her mind. "Yeah, so?"

"Trade me for a few hours tomorrow," She smiled at him. "I'll teach Ritsu how to fight and you can discipline Yoshio. That way, they're getting what they came for and we're getting what we need."

He pondered her words for a few minutes and ran a hand through his hair. It was a damn good idea, he had to hand that to her. But was he ready to admit that? He wasn't so sure. "Fuck no."

"Come on!" Uraraka pleaded, "I could really use your help and in return, I'll help you."

He liked the fact that she needed his help, but he figured he could milk it for a while longer. "Quit thinking that I can't teach. By the time I'm done with her, she'll be the best damn fighter in the whole school."

"Don't push it, Bakugo." She frowned at him. "I'll only ask you to help one more time. I can handle Ritsu."

Bakugo felt the smirk that had been playing on his lips finally emerge. "Fine. But I'm only doing this because you need me to deal out an ass-whooping. I wouldn't do it without that."

"Deal," She smiled and held out a hand for him to shake.

He looked at her hand and decided he'd snub her, "Now shut the hell up and read your shitty ass book. I'm tired of hearing your voice."

She frowned but dropped her hand, "Well I'm tired of hearing yours."

She smiled to herself as she propped her book open again on her lap. She couldn't help but feel an elation at their banter. It felt good to just kid around with someone again.

* * *

 **Hello again! I had such a busy weekend! I thought I'd have all this time to write, but noooo. My plumbing imploded on itself at my house and it took an army to fix it! I'm just so glad that it's over with...**

 **Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter! It's a bit of a filler chapter that is building up to the next one. I'm just so stoked to be writing again!**

 **NumberSixteen: thank you! I hope you like this one!**

 **Penrose Quinn: (I love your username lol) You are exactly right about that. Bakugo needs to get laid so bad, but he will have to wait a while longer lol. I'm glad you liked sensitive Bakugo because I was worried that I was breaking his character. Thank you for your review and I hope you love this chapter too :D**

 **sevas007: You're too sweet :) I was worried that if she asked him to stay at her place, it'd be too soon (She still is dating Deku after all). But don't worry, there will be some actual kacchako fluff coming your way soon! I'll get there before you know it :D Thanks for the review and I hope you liked this chapter too!**

 **I'm signing off for now, but I will be back sooner than you think! See you all very soon!**

 **XOXO**


	6. Chapter 6

Uraraka left her office the following afternoon only to be met with a certain blonde. She shamelessly licked the last of her lunch's crumbs off her fingertips as he stared down at her menacingly. "Listen up, roundface. I'm only leaving this to you because that turd I had assigned to me is an incompetent little shit that doesn't listen and yours needs a old fashion ass-kicking."

She nodded slowly, acknowledging his statement, "I'll do the best I can."

"No," He corrected sternly. "You will get it done. I'm holding up my end of the bargain here."

She crossed her arms defiantly, "Well you have the easier of the two, so I won't make any promises."

He huffed through his nostrils indignantly and turned to walk away. She followed him and mused about how his gauntlets hardly fit alongside him in the hallway that they passed through. When they entered the training center, she straightened up to appear strong. They approached their students who were standing silently with their backs to each other.

"Think they get along?" Uraraka asked quietly with a small smile.

"Fuck if I care," Bakugo stopped them as they stood before the young students. "You shitstains better listen up good. We're switching mentors for a little while, so you both better fuckin' behave."

Ritsu immediately glared at them both, "Is that even allowed?"

"I don't see a fuckin' rulebook," Bakugo glared back. "You'd better keep that smart mouth to yourself, brat."

"I'm Uravity," Uraraka smiled eagerly and held out her hand to shake but was snubbed once again. "Ground Zero told me that you needed some hand-to-hand combat training."

The black haired girl just stared at Uraraka wordlessly.

"Alright," Uraraka could feel the awkward air thickening around the four of them. "Well, this is Yoshio." She gestured to the male student. "His saliva will paralyze you if it touches you." She almost wanted to cringe as she remembered her day yesterday.

"That disgusting," Bakugo jeered. "Get to steppin' kid. We don't have all day." The blonde about-faced and walked away.

Uraraka watched as the two of them retreated to separate section of the training center. She turned to face Ritsu again and found her standing with her arms crossed. "I suppose we should get started then?"

"You smile a lot," The girl finally stated.

Uraraka held the grin on her face despite the rudeness of her tone, "Well when I was a student at U.A., All-Might taught us that a smile is always an important tool to success."

"Well I think that's stupid," Ritsu didn't budge from her stubborn position.

Uraraka cleared her throat awkwardly and tried to move the conversation forward, "So what areas of combat do you feel like you need the most help with?"

The young girl scoffed haughtily, "I'm fine. I don't need help from you."

Uraraka couldn't help but feel reminded of Bakugo's attitude in high school. "Well I'm here to teach you what I can, so let's just spar a little bit and see where you're at, okay?" Perhaps this was going to take more effort than she anticipated.

Ritsu sighed but reluctantly agreed. She watched the pro for a few moments before charging her.

Uraraka didn't budge as the student ran at her, but instead waited for the right opening. As soon as the girl was close enough to touch, she made a move to do so. However, Ritsu dodged it without having to take her eyes off of Uraraka's face.

The pro had anticipated this though. Bakugo had ranted on about her mind reading enough last night for her to understand that the best way to get the upper hand a pro should have is not to think at all. Instead, she relaxed her mind and let instinct and experience do the work for her.

Uraraka smoothly knocked Ritsu's legs out from under her and caught the student before she face-planted onto the floor. "That was good, but a little too risky."

The black haired girl grit her teeth and pushed herself away from Uraraka. "Whatever."

"You have to remember the limits of your quirk," Uraraka smiled. "Seasoned fighters aren't always going to need to think about what they're about to do. They'll just do it. It will limit you a lot if you're relying too heavily on your quirk in combat."

Ritsu fought to keep the glare on her face, but listened to the pro's suggestion.

"Perhaps we could work on a few basic techniques?" Uraraka smiled through the girl's glower. "Even the beginnings of hand-to-hand combat could help you in a fight."

"Fine." The girl spat back and watched as Uraraka demonstrated a few simple movements for her to follow.

"These are good for first time learners," Uraraka finished her demonstrations. "Now you try them and I'll help you."

Ritsu begrudgingly began mimicking the pro. Uraraka smiled and corrected her where it was needed. To both their surprise, the young student was picking it up pretty quickly.

"Takedowns will be the hardest to learn," Uraraka moved on to the next portion of combat training. "But I'm sure it will be easier for you because that is when your opponent will probably do the most thinking. However, you'll be in closest possible proximity to them, so you'll have to be especially careful of getting attacked by their quirk."

Ritsu let Uraraka walk her through a few basic takedown maneuvers and listened as the pro explained that those could become more complex as she added her own style of fighting to them.

"Do you think you could handle a spar now?" Uraraka smiled largely.

"Whatever, fine." Ritsu rolled her eyes at the pro. "What do I even call you, anyway?"

Uraraka felt her smile turn to a look of curiosity. "Uravity, why?" She was sure she'd told Ritsu a few times already.

The girl looked surprised by the question, "I just keep forgetting."

Uraraka noted that as strange. Was it really that hard to remember her hero name? She certainly didn't think so. "Alright, well let's get this going. We don't have much longer."

A boom rocked the training center and Uraraka snapped her eyes over to where the sound came from. She mused inwardly about how Bakugo sounded like he was having some fun. It was uncharacteristically nice that he was helping her out and she made a mental note to thank him later.

"Oh," Ritsu broke Uraraka's gaze away from the other side of the center. "I see now. You're roundface."

The brunette looked genuinely surprised by the statement. "Huh? Where did you hear that?"

Ritsu smirked smugly, "Ground Dumbo was thinking about you yesterday and this morning. I didn't think that it was you, though. I should have been able to guess it."

Uraraka scrambled for something to say, "You shouldn't be digging around in his thoughts, you know?"

"It can't be helped," Ritsu shrugged. "I could see everything he was thinking about all day."

Uraraka furrowed her eyebrows, "And let me guess, you could see mine?"

"I still can," The girl smirked. "When you're not thinking about how to be a annoyingly helpful teacher, you're either thinking about explody-face over there or how you're mad at your boyfriend."

Uraraka turned bright red, "Y-you shouldn't be doing that!" Had she really been thinking about Deku that much? She supposed it shouldn't be a surprise because she'd ignored his phone calls for the last two days. It had been on her mind her entire lunch break.

"From what I can see, you don't even like that guy." Ritsu pressed her luck, but she didn't care. "In fact, I think you don't miss him at all."

"That's enough," Uraraka silenced her. "That is absolutely none of your business."

"Whatever," Ritsu crossed her arms, "Gravity freak."

"It's Uravi-" Uraraka cut herself off mid-sentence. Suddenly, it all made sense to her. "Oh…"

Ritsu immediately tensed up, clearly able to see what Uraraka was thinking. "So you figured it out, huh? It's about time one of you pros put two and two together."

Uraraka wanted to slap herself for her own stupidity. How had she not figured it out sooner? It was glaringly obvious. "You can activate your quirk when someone tells you their name."

"Or nickname," Ritsu corrected.

"Or their hero name," Uraraka pondered her discovery. "That's actually pretty cool."

The black-haired student shook her head and shifted her gaze away from her impromptu mentor. "It's not, really. Everyone just thinks I'm digging around in there head all the time."

"Well, are you?" Uraraka asked with a quirked eyebrow.

Ritsu shrugged, "I didn't used to. But because everyone thinks I am, now I do."

Uraraka's features softened toward the girl. She opened her mouth to say something reassuring, but Ritsu spoke first.

"I don't want your pity." She shook off Uraraka's unspoken thoughts. "Let's just spar."

Uraraka pushed the empathy from her heart and tried to replace it with determination. "You got it. When we're done here, Ground Zero won't know what hit him."

* * *

Bakugo hadn't had fun like that in a while. He wiped the sweat from his forehead as he looked at the kid he'd just 'disciplined' slouched against the wall.

Yoshio panted tiredly and met Bakugo's harsh gaze. "Can we be done now?"

"We're done when I say we're done." Bakugo barked and stretched his arms. "Now get ready because we're going again."

"No need!" Uraraka's voice fluttered over their conversation.

Bakugo turned around to see the brunette walking up with Ritsu in tow. She smiled sweetly back at him, "Ritsu and I are done, I think."

Bakugo glowered at the young student beside Uraraka. "Did she learn anything?"

"Sure did!" Uraraka gave him a childish thumbs up that made him spark with annoyance. "How did it go with Yoshio? You guys were making a ton of noise."

Bakugo frowned and turned his attention back to the slumped boy, "This little shit learned his lesson."

Uraraka laughed awkwardly as she saw Yoshio's state. "Oh wow, I didn't think you guys would go this hard."

"That's what smart mouths get you," Bakugo hissed and adjusted one of his gauntlets.

Yoshio finally stood upright and puckered his mouth haughtily, "This guy is a psychopath."

"Says the guy who has to spit on people," Bakugo scowled at the boy. "I take it back, maybe this little turd hasn't learned his lesson."

"Alright, alright," Uraraka interrupted as she came to a stop beside Bakugo and smiled up at him. "Thank you for helping me."

Bakugo sneered and rolled his eyes, "Yeah whatever, roundface. Don't mention this shit to Kirishima."

"I won't." She promised as she looked back a few yards toward the idle Ritsu. "By the way," She hushed her tone. "I figured out Ritsu's quirk."

Bakugo gave her a look of disbelief, "Bullshit."

"I did!" She insisted with a goofy smile.

He clenched his fists with frustration, "You mean to tell me that you spent two hours with that little shit and you already figured it out? I don't buy it."

"It's obvious, Bakugo." She frowned at him. "I'm actually surprised you haven't seen it yourself."

That did it for Bakugo. "Fucking prove it then and tell me." He could feel the irritation almost exploding out of him.

She pretended to think about his statement for a moment, "I think it's more fun when you don't know, so I'll keep it a secret for now." She smiled happily and touched his arm. "Thanks for helping me!" She smiled at him for a second longer before she practically skipped away.

Bakugo's arm had instantaneously gone rigid with her gentle touch. He wasn't used to a friendly yet intimate touch like that. Not even his mother did things like that. Instead, the old hag would just punch him. This felt strange and foreign and it made him deeply uncomfortable… But also warm.

"Hurry up, you explosion head!" Ritsu's voice irked him away from his trance.

"The fuck did you just call me?" He glowered at her with murderous intent. "Is that the best you can do, shitstain?"

"Is that the best you can do?" She retorted with a sassy tone.

Bakugo marched over to her threateningly, "If you don't want to die, I suggest you don't forget what I say next. I'm Ground Zero and I don't want to hear any more of you pathetic as hell nicknames. Got it, Shit-su?"

She stared bleakly back at him, "Like I've never heard that one before."

"Get moving!" He ordered and stomped away.

Uraraka smiled smugly as she overheard their exchange. Bakugo fell back into that girl's mind reading trap without even knowing it. Perhaps he would never figure it out. She turned back to her partner and felt sincerely guilty for putting this kid through Bakugo's disciplinary rage.

When Ritsu finally caught up to her mentor, they were far enough away from Uraraka and Yoshio. "Do you like her?"

Bakugo was completely disarmed by her blatant question. "What the fuck did you just ask me?"

Ritsu jutted her head back impudently, "Uravity. Do you have a thing for her?"

The hairs on Bakugo's neck stood straight up, "Hell no! Shut the hell up, pipsqueak."

"I can read your mind, you know." She shot back defiantly. "You can't hide from it."

"I don't hide from anything," Bakugo growled. He was reaching the end of his patience. All the enjoyment he had obtained from beating up on that snot-nosed shit earlier was officially out the window now.

Ritsu simply stared at him, her eyes scanning his face. "Then what's the problem? I'm just telling you what I saw."

"Get out of my head!" Bakugo finally bellowed and held a palm out threateningly.

"She doesn't even like her boyfriend," Ritsu knew that Bakugo wouldn't risk getting into trouble by actually hurting her so she pressed on. "I saw it so I know. She hasn't talked to him in days. Is he far away or something? I couldn't quite tell."

Bakugo glowered at the student with every ounce of malicious intent he had in his body, "Her business is nobody else's but her's. Shut the hell up about it. She's nothing special, especially not to me."

"Fine." Ritsu spat.

"Fine!" Bakugo shouted aggressively.

* * *

The day couldn't have come any faster for Bakugo. He was thrilled to see that mind-reading twerp leave and he'd completely zoned out from Edgeshot's oh-so-inspiring lecture at the end of the day. Yeah, yeah they all already knew the bullshit that he spewed about what it means to be a hero. He'd heard this speech a hundred times before.

He'd changed quickly after the meeting and grabbed Kirishima by the back of the collar before the red-head could leave. "Where the fuck do you think you're going?"

Kirishima turned around, pulled his duffle bag up his shoulder a little and shrugged, "Home, I guess?"

Bakugo narrowed his eyes and released the red-head from his grasp, "Let's get some food."

Kirishima was taken aback with surprise, "You're asking me, right?"

"Of fucking course I am, dipshit." Bakugo rolled his eyes. "Can it before I change my damn mind."

Kirishima nodded slowly and began to follow the blonde out of the locker room. There was a mixture of confusion and shock on his face at Bakugo's sudden proposal. He raked his brain to try and recall any other instance that this had occurred, but he ended up with none.

When they finally exited the agency to the privacy of the street, Kirishima gave his friend a puzzled look. "Everything okay, buddy?"

"I regret this already," Bakugo snapped back. "Forget it, I'll see you tomorrow."

"No!" Kirishima whined and caught Bakugo's shoulder before the blonde could scurry away. "Let's just get food, okay?"

Bakugo shook off Kirishima's hand and scowled, "Fuck, fine. Stop groping me, asshole."

The red-head noted Bakugo's particularly sour mood and couldn't help but wonder what was going on. "Where do you want to go?"

"Anywhere." Bakugo's answer was short and cold.

"Alright," Kirishima accepted and thought for a moment. "You seem like you need a drink, so how does nachos and beer sound?"

Bakugo had always known that Kirishima could speak his language and this was exactly what he wanted to hear. "Fucking fantastic."

It wasn't until there was a cheesy mess of nachos in front of them with chilled beers that Bakugo finally seemed to relax. He'd been tense the entirety of their trip here and Kirishima was feeling impatient and curious.

"What crawled up your ass and died?" Kirishima finally asked as he grabbed a cheesy chip.

Bakugo blew a hot sigh through his nose and snapped a chip between his two fingers. "That damned U.A. kid. She fucked around with my head."

Kirishima rose an eyebrow as he munched, "She what?"

"Fucked with my head!" Bakugo hissed and finally crushed the chip to pieces.

"Well, what did she say?" Kirishima was genuinely curious now.

Bakugo dropped the crumbly mess on the table and reached for his beer. "Some shit about Deku and Uraraka."

Kirishima nearly choked and scrambled to sip his own beer. After he'd successfully washed away the coughing fit, he smirked. "What the hell? What did she say?"

Bakugo picked at the food before them and rolled his eyes, "Fuck if I know. Like it matters to me that roundface hasn't talked to Deku in a while."

The red-head paused and tapped his fingers on the table. "Did she talk to Uraraka or something?"

Shit. Bakugo had forgotten that Kirishima didn't know about his and Uraraka's switcheroo. "Yeah, Uraraka taught her some stuff for me."

Kirishima raised his eyebrows questioningly, "Really?"

Bakugo clenched his jaw and forced out an answer, "Yes. Now drop it."

"So what then? That's all she said?" Kirishima could feel a bubble of excitement in his gut.

Bakugo scoffed and took a long drink from his beer, "Yeah, sure."

"That doesn't sound like the whole truth, Bakugo." Kirishima grabbed another nacho and hoped he wasn't pressing too hard.

"Fuck," Bakugo slammed a fist on the tabletop, "What do you want me to say, Kirishima?"

The redhead was not fazed but simply shrugged, "I don't know. You're the one who dragged me out here."

"Then fucking go home," Bakugo looked over at the door. "I just wanted to get food."

Kirishima sighed and chomped on the chip, "Just tell me, dude. You know you can tell me anything."

Bakugo grunted indignantly and ran a hand through his hair. "She said some shit about Uraraka and it just pissed me off, okay?"

Now the red-head was getting somewhere. "What did she say exactly?"

"Just the shit about Deku." Bakugo practically spat out Midoriya's hero name.

"That she wasn't talking to him?" Kirishima wondered aloud.

The blonde shoveled a few more cheesy chips into his mouth but signalled a yes.

"Hmm," Kirishima rubbed his chin. "So Uraraka and Deku aren't talking, huh? Why would that bother you?"

"Fuck!" Bakugo suddenly hissed and skidded his chair back a few inches. "It doesn't! She insisted that I 'like' that roundface moron, but obviously I don't!"

Kirishima was intensely amused by his friend's frustrations. He was slightly pleased that he hadn't brought the topic up to Bakugo when he first realized the blonde's crush. Perhaps he was even thankful that this U.A. student had done all the work for him and brought him to this situation. "Well if you don't like her, then don't worry about it."

Bakugo clenched his fists over the tabletop and tensed, "That's what I thought, but I can't get that shit out of my mind. That's why I'm saying she fucked with my head!"

"Well do you like her?" Kirishima knew the question had to be asked, but he certainly didn't want to be the one who asked it.

Bakugo shot up out of his chair and frowned, "Even if I did, I don't want Deku's sloppy leftovers. Fuck that!"

Kirishima glanced back down at their table, "Dude. Just chill the hell out. Sit down and eat the nachos."

Bakugo growled below his breath before begrudgingly sitting back in his seat. He crossed his arms over the table instead of grabbing more cheesy chips. "It's so damn annoying!"

"I get it," Kirishima shrugged and sipped his beer. "Sometimes a lady can do that to you. I know what that's like. And Uraraka got kind of hot since high school, so I can see your dilemma."

Bakugo's mind was jerked around by Kirishima's statement. He'd never really thought of Uraraka as hot at all. She'd always been that doe-eyed roundface. She'd never really had any stand-out characteristics and she had always been overly apologetic. But now that he thought about it, those things had changed.

She wasn't like that anymore. In fact, she was kind of tough. She'd grown into her curves and developed a somewhat fiesty attitude. She'd tackled that thief the other day like a real badass pro and she had a snarky comeback when it was called for. She had changed a lot but not enough to be unrecognizable.

"Damn it, Kirishima." Bakugo snatched his beer, "I don't like her at all. She's not even my type." He gulped down a decent amount of his drink.

"Seriously, Bakugo," Kirishima leaned back in this chair with crossed arms. "She's your one and only type."

Bakugo scoffed as he rested his beer back on the tabletop. "You don't know what you're talking about, dumbass."

"I don't know what I'm talking about?" Kirishima was baffled and sputtered with laughter, "You've never once liked anybody I've introduced you to. You're never interested! Who else out there could there possibly be that you'd consider 'your type?'"

Bakugo glared at the red-head across from him, "Well all the stupid bitches you show up with are shallow as hell."

"Exactly," Kirishima held out an open palm to emphasize his point. "You don't like any girl that doesn't think about things the total opposite of you. Uraraka is the only girl I know that fits that mold."

Bakugo frowned, "The fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"I mean," Kirishima leaned over the tabletop now to drive his point home. "Uraraka smiles at the dumbest shit, right? Stuff you'd find lame and insignificant. She finds happiness in the little things that you completely overlook." Kirishima paused to try and read Bakugo's expression before moving on. "She loves everything and you hate everything."

The blonde held onto his frown with all the disdain in his body. "That's such a load of horseshit, Kirishima."

"It's not!" Kirishima could feel himself becoming exasperated. "Haven't you heard the expression 'opposites attract?' Look at it this way. Why the hell would you put up with her shit and tease her like you do? You don't do that with anybody else!"

Bakugo narrowed his eyes, "I put up with your shit."

"That's not the same and you know it," Kirishima frowned before smiling. "But thank you."

The blonde finally leaned back in his chair to think over Kirishima's observations. "Well it wouldn't matter anyway. She's got fucking Deku and that shithead is a damned saint to her."

Kirishima wanted to slap Bakugo for his roundabout thinking. "You just told me that she isn't talking to Midoriya. Perhaps there is some trouble in paradise?"

Bakugo glowered at his friend, "I'm done talking about this."

"Ugh," Kirishima groaned and slumped in his chair. "Whatever, dude. I think she's great for you, if it matters at all."

"What are you," Bakugo narrowed his eyes, "A fucking girl?"

"Why do you always ask me that?" Kirishima shoveled some nachos in his mouth and discarded Bakugo's insult. "If I am, then I'm a proud one that is always willing to hear about your problems. I'm just glad you finally hit puberty, Bakugo."

"Shut the hell up!" Bakugo motioned to punch Kirishima but stopped himself.

"What?" Kirishima forced out through a mouthful of chips, "You're the one who wanted to have a girl chat, remember?"

Bakugo suppressed his urge to murder his friend and instead opted to polish off his beer. "I fucking hate you."

"I love you too, man," Kirishima smiled like an idiot. "Now hurry the hell up and finish these. I have shit to do at home, you know?"

* * *

 **Helloo! I know this chapter is a little shorter than usual, but I felt like this would be a good place to stop it. I hope you all understand!**

 **I'm getting hella stoked to move forward now. Bakugo may *finally* be learning about _feelings._ Oh, I'm so looking forward to the future fluff!**

 **Penrose Quinn: You are such a sweetheart. I love reading your reviews so much because they always make me feel good :D To answer your question: yes, we will be seeing Mitsuki soon! Probably in the next few chapters. I am going to have SO MUCH FUN writing her. Also, I'm so glad you pointed out that Ritsu didn't seem like 1-A material, but I am thinking about bringing her back later on and I think you'll see why I think she belongs there :D Lastly, I'm so glad you liked my Pride and Prejudice reference. I was worried that nobody would find it as funny as I did. LOL thanks for the review and I hope you liked this chapter too!**

 **sevas007: Thank you so much for your super nice compliments! I'm really glad you like how I write them :D It can be so hard as a writer to write things like banter because I'm always worried I'm straying away from their natural characters. Your review really means a lot more than I could say :D As far as your questions, I'm not entirely sure how many chapters I'm going to write. I figure when I get to a good stopping point, I'll just end it. I suppose we will both find out LOL. Also, YES to your second question. It will come! I just didn't want to write a lemon too soon in the story (I want them to fall in love first) but I have considered writing a one-shot to help get the impatience out of my system. I'll have to see about that :D Thank you for the review and I hope you liked this chapter too!**

 **NumberSixteen: You're so sweet I could just kiss you. Thank you so much for being a consistent reviewer! I also love your own story, so PLS update :D Thanks for the review and I hope you liked this too!**

 **Until next time! If you liked this, pls review! I love hearing back from you all.**

 **XOXO**


	7. Chapter 7

Uraraka's ringtone woke her from her deep sleep. Her phone jingled happily on her bedside table as she grabbed at it with a blind hand. Her bedroom was still dark, the sun hadn't risen yet.

"Hello?" She slurred into the phone without opening her eyes.

"Uraraka?" Deku's voice was a mixture of surprise and worry.

She shot up in bed suddenly and blinked the sleep out of her eyes. Crap. She was not anywhere near ready to take this call. "Deku? What time is it?" She glanced down at her phone to see that it was 4:30 in the morning.

"I'm sorry that I'm calling you so early, but I really wanted to talk to you." He sounded tired in the phone.

She wiped the drool from her chin before she replied, "It's really early, actually."

"I know," He breathed, "I just haven't heard from you so I got a little worried."

She felt her mind waking up and she brushed her tangled hair from her face. Sighing, she finally responded. "I just didn't have anything to say to you right now."

He was quiet through the phone but she could hear him rustling something in the background.

She was stuck to this conversation now whether she liked it or not, so she decided to finally spit out what was bothering her most. "You sent All-Might to check on me, didn't you?"

He was silent for another moment before he let out a slow breath, "Well not exactly but-"

"I knew it." She grit her teeth.

"I'm sorry but I-" He started again.

"No," She interrupted for the second time and rubbed her left temple. "What is going on with you? You've never been like this before."

"Been like what?" He asked with a hint of frustration in his voice.

"Been like…" She searched for the words in her tired mind. "I don't know! Like this!"

His silence felt different this time. Perhaps he was offended but she didn't really care if he was or was not. She knew that she was in the right.

"You've just been so distant lately. I don't even know what you've been doing. So yeah, when I mentioned it to All-Might, he offered to check up on you for me. I didn't know it was such a big problem." He sounded upset now. His voice was a higher pitch than normal but he seemed to be grasping at sounding apologetic. He just hoped she would buy it.

"It's not a 'big problem,' Deku." Uraraka kicked her duvet away from her legs as she pulled them up to her chin. "It just felt like an insult. I don't need a babysitter."

His tone immediately changed to exasperated. "I'm not trying to babysit you! I'm just trying to keep things normal with us. I haven't even been gone that long and it already feels like you don't care about me anymore."

That stung her pretty bad. How could he say such a thing? "I don't care?" She asked incredulously. "Me?"

"I didn't mean for it to come out that way," Deku sighed into the phone.

"I stayed behind for you!" She felt her face heating up with anger. "Three years, Deku. Three years! I waited and waited for you to finally come around and tell me that you were ready to go to Tokyo, but you went with America instead!" She waved her left arm around wildly as she spoke and she gripped the phone tightly to her right ear. "Don't tell me that I don't care, Deku. I have made all of the sacrifices in this relationship."

"I know you have," Deku spoke softly now. "But you haven't talked to me at all since I left. I couldn't help but feel like you're leaving me behind."

"Like I could ever leave you behind," She snapped back angrily, "You do nothing but climb the rankings without breaking a sweat. I haven't even had the chance to start. You left me behind years ago and now I have to try to catch up. It's humiliating."

Deku was tense on the other end of the line, "You know that isn't what I meant, Ochako."

"Don't." She hissed and closed her eyes. "Don't call me that right now."

He was quiet for a while before he sighed and finally spoke, "So where does that leave us, Uraraka?"

"I don't know." She breathed out. Her anger was finally being replaced by guilt. She shouldn't have blown up on him like that, but she had been bottling it up. "I need some time, Deku."

"Fine…" He mumbled and she could hear the strain in his voice. "Call me when you've figured it out."

"Okay." Her response was short but it felt so long-winded.

"I love you." His voice seemed pained and hopeless.

His words didn't feel like the comfort they should be. In fact, they didn't feel loving at all. It was more like a statement designed to flood her with an unimaginable amount of guilt. They were meant to make her feel like she'd done something wrong and that only made her angrier.

Before he could say another word, she ended the call. She was surprised to feel angry tears dripping down her cheeks and she wiped them away while she tried to gather her pride. She wanted to scream and sob at the same time, but her heart was torn between the two. This was a completely new feeling to her and she didn't know what to do about it.

Too angry to back to sleep, she jumped out of bed. She discarded her pajamas frustratedly on her floor and dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. She skipped her morning coffee and ran straight out the door with her duffle bag in hand. She couldn't stand to sit and feel sorry for herself. She needed to do something about it.

* * *

Bakugo was always the first one in the office every morning. Sure, he was late from time to time but he made an effort to be the first one the majority of the time. He stopped at the agency's kitchen to pour himself a cup of their crappy coffee and tried to ignore the night shift workers talking nearby. However, when the name Uravity came up, he began paying attention.

"If she keeps it up, there isn't going to be any bag left for her to punch." One of the heroes commented.

"I wonder why she's so pissed off," The other replied.

"Beats me," The first shrugged, "I just hope she never gets that angry at me."

"Same here," The second dropped his empty coffee cup in the garbage. "I'm going to get going. I'll see you tonight?"

"Later, man." The two parted ways and Bakugo was left alone in the kitchen.

He could barely hide his amused smirk as he poured his cup of hot coffee. Roundface was mad? Mad enough to wreck a punching bag? Oh, he had to see this.

He took a drink from the steaming cup before he began making his way down to the gym, his duffle bag swaying at his side. He passed a few more of the night-shift workers as they departed from the office, but he didn't move out of their way.

Once he entered the gym, he found it mostly empty. The last few nighttime heroes were finishing up their workouts before clocking out and heading home. At least he'd have the place to himself to make fun of her.

It didn't take him long at all to notice the brunette laying into one of the punching bags lining the wall. It had a long seam that looked ready to burst as she beat into it with her fists. He walked up behind her and leaned on the railing of a treadmill. He watched silently as she continued, sipping his coffee bemusedly. Damn, she was pissed about something.

As the last of the night-shift heroes cleared out, she let out a frustrated and strangled cry as she found her second wind. As she finished her maylay of punches, the bag finally gave way and burst. As the contents of the bag spilled to the ground, she finally relented and found herself out of breath.

He was silent for a few more seconds as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. "What the fuck did that bag do to you?"

She jumped with surprise and turned around to see him standing there. Her cheeks were bright red and her hair stuck out in odd places as it fell out of her ponytail. She finally registered his presence and began to work on catching her breath again. "What are you doing here?"

"I asked first," He pointed out smugly and sipped at his half empty coffee.

She closed her eyes and grit her teeth before answering, "I just needed to punch something for a while. I'm sure you understand what that's like."

"I don't just know it," He smirked into his cup, "I live it, roundface."

She finally backed away from the bag, kicking the contents as she wandered to her water bottle. "Yeah well, I guess I finally get what that's like."

He didn't budge from his spot as he quirked an eyebrow at the mess she had made. "I didn't think your dumbass was capable of this kind of anger. What the hell pissed you off this bad?"

She gulped down her entire water bottle before she tossed him a look of unamusement. "I doubt you'd even care."

"Fuck no I don't," He nodded in agreement. "Call it curiosity."

"Fine," she unwrapped the cloth she had tied around her knuckles. "Deku is just being so…" She fumbled for her wording.

He held up a hand knowingly, "You don't have to tell me. I get it. That damn nerd is just a fucking nuisance."

"You don't get it, though." She freed her hands from their wraps and tightened her ponytail. "He thinks he has to babysit me or something!"

Bakugo audibly scoffed, "I've been telling you all for years that he's a fucking moron. I swear, it's like you guys don't listen to me when I tell you shit."

"We don't," She frowned at him. "He's just being so overbearing and it is driving me crazy. I swear, he's the only one in the world that still thinks I'm some weak, helpless little teenage girl that can't walk down the street without being in danger."

"Like I said, he's a fucking moron if he thinks that." Bakugo felt the compliment slip out before he could stop it. Damn it, he didn't want to help her. He just wanted to mess with her.

She used the bottom of her shirt to wipe the sweat off her face, exposing her midriff as she did. "Thanks, I needed to hear that."

Bakugo watched helplessly as she dropped her shirt to rest in it's normal place again. He hadn't even noticed that his heart had began to beat much faster until now. He gulped and fought for his composure, "It wasn't a compliment, roundface. You're still a long way off from being great."

The look she gave him was one he had not seen her wear before. It was a dark one that spoke words she didn't need to say. "I really didn't need to hear that."

He smirked at her newfound attitude and went to sip his coffee again. "So what, did you dump him or some shit?"

"No," She breathed and her demeanor changed once again. Now, she seemed frustrated and distraught. "I don't know, actually. I told him I needed time."

He wanted to shake his head with surprise, but he fought the urge off. "What the hell are you even doing wasting your time with that fuckin' nerd anyway?"

She furrowed her eyebrows at him, "Wasting my time?"

"Yes, dumbass." He spat out without thinking. "I'd say you could do better, but then I remember your shitty hero ranking. It could be the other way around, but Deku is worse in every other way."

She glowered at him for a moment before she decided to lunge in his direction. "You are such a jerk!"

Her sudden movement caught him by surprise. Thanks to his quick reflexes, he successfully blocked her punch. Unfortunately for him, the remnant of his coffee splashed onto his t-shirt during the process. "The fuck, roundface?!" He glared at her.

"That's what you get." She remarked snidely as she backed off, retrieving her closed fist. The frown on her lips was now replaced with a sickly sweet smile.

He narrowed his eyes threateningly at her, "You're fucking crazy."

"No," She corrected. "You're just a gigantic jerk."

"Better a jerk than psycho," He spat and tried to wipe the spilled coffee away. "How Deku managed to lasso a girl like you is beyond me."

He didn't miss her eyebrows raising with surprise. "A girl like me?"

"Fucking hell," Bakugo pulled on the shirt and it unsucked itself from his chest and torso. "How the hell are you that insecure?"

She crossed her arms definitely, "I am not insecure!"

Bakugo scoffed incredulously, "That's a fucking lie if I ever heard one. You're way too good for that shit-nerd but you cling onto him like nobody else in the fucking world could possibly like you. It's disgusting and annoying as hell."

Uraraka felt the blush explode onto her cheeks and she immediately turned her back on him to hide it. "I don't cling onto him."

Bakugo finally looked away from his shirt to see her back. She clearly had her head in her hands and his first thought was that he'd made her cry. "Quit being a baby, roundface. Go back to punching shit if you're upset."

She skewered her face into a pout before finally turning back his way, her blush completely gone. "I'm not crying and I don't cling to Deku."

"Quit lying to yourself." Bakugo grabbed his duffle bag that had fallen to the floor in their scuffle and motioned to leave. "You'd be better off without him. He drags you down."

She watched his back as he left the gym and she suddenly felt more alone than she had in years. His words had hit her like a ton of bricks and her emotions were suddenly all over the place. She wasn't angry or sad, in fact, she wasn't even close to upset. She just felt lost and confused, like no matter what she did or said in that moment could solve her problem.

She knelt down to the floor and felt the tears pricking her eyes. Where did they come from? From her anger or from her sadness? Possibly neither. It was like a dam had just burst in her heart and she didn't know what to feel.

"Oh man," She muttered to herself. "What is going on with me?"

* * *

The next few days were stressful for Uraraka. Bakugo hadn't said another word to her since their exchange in the gym. In fact, he'd been colder than usual toward her.

Kirishima had picked up on the change on the first day. It was obvious from their silence at Wednesday's briefing and Kirishima knew that whatever had transpired between them, it was because Uraraka had something going on that Bakugo knew about. To better phrase it, Bakugo knew about it and had a strong opinion that Uraraka either didn't like or didn't want to hear. In was more likely both.

As the week had continued, the blonde and brunette only seemed to grow worse. Bakugo had completely reverted to his asshole nature and was dealing out his anger on everyone. On the other hand, Uraraka had become completely and uncharacteristically quiet and distracted. On top of that, they avoided each other like the plague.

Finally, it all came to a head on friday afternoon. Kirishima had unintentionally waltzed in on the two of them arguing with each other in Bakugo's office.

"Get the hell out, roundface." Bakugo was standing in front of his desk chair and it turned slowly behind him.

"You are impossible!" She ran her hands over her forehead and groaned frustratedly.

Kirishima paused at the door and wondered if they'd notice if he backed away slowly.

"Well you're the one who walked in here like you own the fucking place!" Bakugo snapped back, his eyes lighting up with genuine anger. "Go ask somebody else." He signalled for her to leave and sat back in his chair with a disgruntled look on his face.

"Whatever!" She harrumphed and turned to see Kirishima at the door. "Kirishima," She started with an antagonizing tone. "Where can I find blank copies of the case closing sheets? Bakugo won't help me."

The red-head glanced between both of them awkwardly before he pointed down the hall. "There are some in my office. Help yourself."

"Thank you!" She threw her hands up with disbelief. "It's really not that hard, is it?"

Kirishima didn't get a chance to get another word in before she barged past him and stomped down the hall. He watched her leave before he turned back toward the blonde in time to see a fist slam down on the top of the desk.

"Fucking hell!" Bakugo snapped and threw himself back in his chair.

Kirishima blinked at his friend and he realized he could no longer hold his tongue. "Okay, Bakugo. What the hell was that?"

The blonde glared at his second intruder, "Fuck off, Kirishima."

Kirishima carefully stepped further into the office and sat down on one of Bakugo's empty chairs. "No way, dude. What is going on with you two? You've been at each other's throats since wednesday."

"She's a damn idiot! That's the fucking problem!" Bakugo grit his teeth and clenched the armrests of his chair.

"Okay," Kirishima nodded. "Why is she an idiot?"

He glared at the red-head across the desk for a second before he threw his hands up, "She beat the living hell out of a punching bag because of some shit that Deku did or said. When I gave her shit about it, she got all butthurt. Like I give a flying fuck what Deku did, I just told her what she needed to hear."

This was not what Kirishima was expecting to hear. He figured they'd had a falling out of some kind, but this sounded far more complex than he'd originally thought. "What exactly did you say to her?"

"Shit, I don't fucking remember." Bakugo turned around in his chair to look out his office window at the street below. "I told her that he was a piece of shit and he was dragging her down."

"You told her that?" Kirishima was breathless.

Bakugo turned his chair slightly to glare back, "Of fucking course I did. She was all pissed off that Deku was being clingy as hell so I told her the truth."

"No…" Kirishima shook his head. "You don't tell a girl stuff like that, Bakugo."

"How the fuck was I supposed to know that?" Bakugo spat angrily. "Actually, I don't give a shit. She needed to hear it."

"Dude," Kirishima's tone dropped to one of concern. "That's not very manly."

For once, Bakugo didn't want to murder Kirishima for his insult because he knew that the red-head wasn't messing around. It wasn't the same attitude Kirishima usually had when he'd give Bakugo shit. This time, it was genuine criticism.

Bakugo felt his anger beginning to drain out of him and he huffed indignantly. "I didn't do shit to her. Deku is the one that caused all this."

"It sounds like Deku started it," Kirishima observed the blonde's frustrated frown. "But you made it a hundred times worse. Everybody knows that Uraraka takes everybody's opinion to heart. You probably made this entire thing that much harder for her."

"And I'm supposed to care, why?" Bakugo spun back around in his chair to face Kirishima completely.

"Because!" The red-head shook his head incredulously, "Heroes aren't supposed to bring people down, Bakugo. We're supposed to be uplifting. If Uraraka was upset about Deku, you should have just been her friend. Instead, you just kicked her down a whole lot more. The very fact that she trusted you enough to tell you what was going on in the first place should have been proof to you."

"Well what the fuck can I do about it now? I already said it." Bakugo held his frown but ran a hand through his hair.

"Seriously, Bakugo." Kirishima rolled his eyes. "You know exactly what you need to do. Do the manly thing and apologize to her."

"Fuck that," Bakugo jeered and looked away. "I don't apologize for anything."

"Well you should," Kirishima stood up and shook his head at the blonde. "Normally you're a tolerable asshole but this time, you were actually an asshole. She doesn't deserve that and if you care about her at all, you'll swallow your pride and apologize."

"I don't care about her." The statement didn't have the same insistence that the last one did.

Kirishima stopped at the door on his way out, "If you really felt that way, then you wouldn't feel guilty at all. In fact, you would make this right."

Bakugo watched the red-head exit to the hallway and disappear. He leaned back in his chair and swivelled to view the city again. He had no idea how to feel about the conversation that had just transpired. He'd never seen Kirishima be anything but a sarcastic dimwit, but this time he'd come off as firm and morally superior. It was distracting and vilifying to him.

The second thing that tugged at his mind was the suggestion of apologizing to Uraraka. How would he even do that? He doubted he'd ever said the words 'I'm sorry' in his entire life. Did he actually want to? It would be a major blow to his ego if he did have to stoop to that level. However, if he didn't, he wasn't sure how to deal with the guilt building up inside.

"Damn it!" Bakugo growled and grit his teeth. He needed to figure this out quick.

* * *

"I brought red wine this time," Mina smiled happily as she dropped a grocery bag on Uraraka's counter. She waggled two wine glasses in between her fingers, "And these for you to keep. You need them more than I do."

"You really didn't have to, Mina." Uraraka twirled one of her new glasses between the index finger and her thumb of her right hand.

"Shh," Mina started removing the assorted items from the grocery bag and snatched the other wine glass off the counter. "I had to come."

"Had to?" Uraraka furrowed her eyebrows.

It wasn't until the cork was successfully out of the bottle before Mina answered. "Kirishima texted me and said you might need a friend. So," She held the bottle out to pour some into Uraraka's wine glass, "Here I am."

Uraraka immediately felt guilty, "You shouldn't have cancelled your plans for me, Mina. I'm fine!"

"Please," Mina smirked. "My last minute tinder date can wait another night. He was only like a seven anyway."

"Only a seven?" Uraraka teased. "He's probably a ten for me."

Mina poured her glass and sipped skeptically, "With your curves? You could land anybody, girl."

Uraraka giggled and blushed, "Thanks, Mina."

"So what's going on?" Mina leaned over the counter top. "Kirishima made it sound like something was up with you."

"Ugh," Uraraka groaned and slumped into her barstool. "I don't even want to think about it."

"This does not sound good," Mina swirled the wine in her glass. "Spill it."

Uraraka stared at her drink without tasting it and grumbled incoherently.

"Sounds like we need to get some alcohol in you," Mina pointed out and took a swig of her own. "We need to have another proper girls night, am I right?"

Uraraka's mouth tilted into a small smile. "At least this time I don't have to go to work hungover."

"Exactly," Mina pulled out a second bottle of wine. "So drink up. We need to get this party started!"

Uraraka hesitantly raised the glass to her lips and took a drink. Just as she began to lower her glass, Mina signalled to drink again.

"Keep it up, Uraraka." Mina egged her on. "We've still got a bottle and a half to finish. I'm not going to wait all night for you."

Uraraka felt her small smile turn into a much larger one. "How often do you do this?"

"Too often." Mina raised her glass. "Cheers, girl."

"Cheers," Uraraka clinked their glasses together and thus began their second official girls night in.

It wasn't until later into the night that Mina finally asked about Uraraka's problem again. They had gotten drunk enough to start telling secrets at this point and Mina knew how to be patient when it was called for.

"So what happened?" Mina asked curiously and shifted a little on Uraraka's bed. Mina was laying on her belly while Uraraka was sitting up, supported by her bed's pillows.

Uraraka ran her finger over the rim on her wine glass, "Deku and I are taking a break, I think."

"Woah," Mina's mouth fell into an 'O.' "That doesn't seem like you guys. I thought you were hopelessly in love with him."

The brunette shrugged glumly. "That's what I thought too, but he's been acting so weird and I got pretty mad at him."

"I've seen you get mad a few times," Mina teased. "You don't ever stay mad for long, though. He must have screwed up pretty bad."

Uraraka shook her head at her pink friend, "Actually, he didn't. I was mad at him for being himself. I thought I was mad about him being overbearing at first, but now that I've thought about it, I realized that Deku has always been like this."

Mina gulped down the last few sips of her glass and thought over Uraraka's confession. "I'm confused. So are you mad at him or not?"

"I am," Uraraka frowned to herself and picked more at her glass. "I'm just having a hard time accepting the fact that Deku feels like he has to keep tabs on me all the time."

"Keep tabs on you?" Mina's face skewed into a look that was half disgust and half surprised. "Like, he has to know where you are all the time?"

Uraraka nodded and took a drink, "That and he has to know everything that I'm doing and who I'm with. All that stuff. He worried himself sick when I went out with you guys last weekend. A few days before that, he told me that he didn't think it was a good idea for me to work at the same agency as Bakugo and Kirishima."

"Are you serious?" Mina raised her eyebrows and sat up on the bed. "He sounds like a helicopter parent."

Uraraka rolled her eyes and leaned her head back against her bed's frame. "I know… But he's always been like this, you know? I just don't think I noticed it until now."

"Because he's so far away?" Mina grabbed the bottle from the floor to pour herself another glass.

"Pretty much," Uraraka shrugged and held her glass out for a refill as well.

"Hmm," Mina topped off their drinks and set the bottle back on the floor. "Kirishima said you were also fighting with Bakugo all week."

Uraraka groaned and took another drink, "Ugh, please do not remind me."

"Details, girl." Mina prodded her friend on the leg. "I need details! How else am I supposed to help you?"

Uraraka crossed her legs to get them away from her pink friend and giggled at her forwardness, "He's just a jerk!"

"Well duh," Mina enunciated the word 'duh' with it's usual sound. "That guy always has a stick in his fine ass. I'm asking how he managed to get under your skin. I thought you two were getting along really well, so I was surprised to hear that you guys were fighting."

Uraraka shook her head violently, "Bakugo and I have never gotten along. I don't know where you heard that."

Mina waved her hand in the air drunkenly, "It came through the grapevine, okay? Now quit stalling and just tell me!"

"Fine," Uraraka smiled with rolled eyes. "I told him about my argument with Deku and Bakugo told me I'd be better off without Deku."

Mina's eyes widened with surprise, "He did not."

"He did!" Uraraka insisted and nodded her head. "He said that Deku was dragging me down."

Mina took a second to drink in what Uraraka was telling her and she sipped the wine while she pondered it.

"That was after he said that I probably couldn't do better and that I was insecure." Uraraka added that in while the memory flooded back to her.

"What the hell?" Mina finally blurted out. "Is that guy blind?!"

"Well," Uraraka looked down at her glass, "I did spill his coffee all over him first."

The pink girl had a look of disbelief written all over her face, "You what?"

"I couldn't help it!" Uraraka giggled and fumbled to explain. "He spied on me while I was using the punching bag at the gym and he was acting like a jerk! So I tried to punch him and he spilled his coffee on his shirt."

Mina kicked her legs wildly with excitement and fell onto her back with laughter. Her wine nearly sloshed out of her cup, but she steadied her hand in time to prevent it. "This story gets more wild as we go! Damn Uraraka, your life sounds so crazy!"

"C'mon," Uraraka slurred and tried to playfully hit her friend with a pillow. "It is not crazy at all."

Mina finally sat up and gave Uraraka the most shit-eating grin she could muster. "It's like a damn soap opera right now. Are you sure we aren't being filmed for reality tv?"

"Stop it!" Uraraka giggled and tried to take another sip. "This is serious!"

Mina dramatically steadied herself to look serious, "Okay, you're right. This is some serious shit, Uraraka. Please continue," She held a hand out jokingly to receive Uraraka's problems.

"Thank you," Uraraka tilted her head with a note of sass in her pose. "That's pretty much it, though. We're just mad at each other because he was being a jerk and I didn't appreciate it."

"Well," Mina carefully chose her next drunken words, "I kinda side with Bakugo on this one."

"What?!" Uraraka asked in disbelief. "Are you serious?"

Mina waved away Uraraka's surprise to make her case, "I mean, Bakugo is kinda right. Deku hasn't done anything but bring you down. You waited for him for ages and then he just 'poof!' goes off to America?" She paused to let the words sink in. "Then he's trying to tie you down while he's thousands of miles away? It sounds like he's being kind of desperate and you're letting him control you."

Uraraka sat back and leaned into her pillows. As she thought over Mina's observation, she swirled the wine in her cup. "I'm not letting him control me. I mean, I did just tell him that we needed to take a break. We haven't talked in a few days."

"That's a big-ass red flag, sister." Mina waved her drink slovenly. "Any relationship that you have to 'take a break' with is doomed to fail. Believe me, I know."

Uraraka frowned and suddenly felt a pit in her stomach. "Can we not talk about this anymore? I'm too drunk to think about this rationally."

"Alright," Mina took another drink. "But I think you already know your answer."

Uraraka ignored the comment, "Thanks for your advice, Mina. I just need to think about it some more."

"Well enough serious talk," Mina kept the situation from getting awkward, "I need your help." She pulled out her phone and opened one of her various dating apps. "I'm too drunk to realize who is hot and who is not. I need your high standards to help me decide, mmkay?"

Uraraka couldn't help but smile, "I don't have high standards!"

"Shush," Mina pressed a finger to Uraraka's lips as she moved to sit beside the brunette. "You have the highest standards. Now help me!"

The night carried on that way as the girls pretended that the previous conversation hadn't happened. It had been a proper girls night and now it was Uraraka's turn to help Mina with boys.

* * *

 **Oh my gosh. This chapter was so hard to write! Also, I'm sorry I didn't get an update out yesterday! I had to work late last night and tonight so I it took two nights to write one chapter. I apologize if you were waiting!**

 **Dang, it's so hard to write both girls as drunk. I had to get drunk myself in order to do it! LOL yes, I'm a little tipsy right now, but it was for the greater good. I just hope that it worked out :D (I also had to edit after I'd been drinking so I'm sorry if the edit job was a little 'meh')**

 **sevas007: I really love your reviews :D You are always thinking ahead and it has helped me come up with some fun ideas so far lol. You are so right about Bakugo being the type to care but pretend not to care. I hadn't really thought of that, so I may use that idea :) Also, I think this may be a somewhat long story, so I'm sure you will have plenty to read in the future! Thanks for your super nice review and I really hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 **MelodySincerelySong: Thank you! I was worried that my little mind reader would seem too OC, but I'm glad you liked her. I got some positive feedback on her, so I might find a good spot for her reappearance in the future :D Thanks for your review and I hope you liked this chapter!**

 **Vorazlov28: Ahhh thank you! Your review made my whole day. I'm so glad you're liking this so far and you don't even have to comment anymore because my heart nearly flew away with your kind words. Thank you SO MUCH for your review and I really hope this chapter meets your standards :D**

 **Penrose Quinn: You are so cute and sweet, I could just die. Thank you so much for your super nice reviews again. I hope you liked the bro moment in this chapter too and don't worry, Mitsuki is coming soon :D Much sooner than you think. Thank you again and I really hope you liked this chapter too!**

 **NumberSixteen: Thanks so much! I am so glad you like this! I appreciate you :D**

 **I'll hopefully be able to put something new out in the next 36 hours so keep an eye out! As always, thanks for reading and pls leave a review!**

 **XOXO**


	8. Chapter 8

Uraraka woke up long before Mina. The sun was hardly peeking over the skyline when she stumbled out of bed with a gnarly hangover.

Her first order of business was getting a glass of water for herself and setting one on the bedside table for Mina to wake up to. The second was a really long shower. She took the time to treat herself, shaving her legs and enjoying the hot water. It helped ease her aching mind and tired body.

As she exited the bathroom donning jean shorts and a tank top, she saw that Mina was still snoring into the pillows. The brunette quietly cleaned up their mess of bottles and glasses from the floor and let her friend continue resting. It had been a fun night and they had probably drank more than they really needed to. Uraraka's headache was a testament to that.

She had just finished eating breakfast when there was a knock on her door. It was still pretty early, so her curiosity got the better of her as she went to open her door. However, the person on the other side was the last person she expected to see. "Bakugo?"

The blonde looked completely irritated as he stood outside her apartment, the morning sun glinting in his eyes. "Fuck this," He muttered under his breath.

"What are you doing here?" She immediately asked, gripping her door handle tightly.

He closed his eyes for a moment before gruffly sighing, "You going to invite me in or what, roundface?"

She furrowed her eyebrows and hesitated, "That depends."

"For fuck sake," He growled and clenched his fists, "Do not make this harder than it already is."

She stayed still for another moment before slowly opening the door to allow him entry to her apartment. He swiftly stepped past her and found himself in her living room. She closed the door behind them as he looked around at the aging furniture and thrift store decor.

"Figures," He grunted, "Your place is exactly how I figured it."

"Is that an insult or a compliment?" She asked as she finally turned around. "And what are you doing here?"

He rolled his eyes and faced her, "It's neither. And I'm here to…" He felt the words hitch in his throat. Shit, this was going to be a lot harder than he thought.

She raised her eyebrows questioningly, urging him to continue.

"Fuck," He spat and groaned inwardly. "Get your shit. I'm buying you breakfast."

The was a silent atmosphere as she fought with herself. What was going on? Why was he really here? Bakugo didn't treat anyone to anything, so this was particularly confusing.

"Don't just stand there looking like a dumbass," Bakugo raised his voice. "Hurry the hell up and get your shit!"

Her first response was to stare at him with a dumb look of surprise. Her second was to look over at her kitchen counter where her empty breakfast dish was. "I, uh…"

He followed her gaze and grumbled something incoherent. "You've got to be fucking kidding me." He finally said and ran a hand through his blonde spikes.

"I didn't know you were coming!" She defended herself. "What is even going on?"

He took a deep breath and seemed to work up his nerve. "I was here to fucking apologize to you, dipshit."

Her expression was completely shocked, "What?"

"I acted like an ass, okay?" Bakugo looked away, fighting with his pride. "I shouldn't have told you that Deku was dragging you down."

She blushed a little at his words, "Bakugo, you didn't have to-"

"Yes, I fuckin' did." He silenced her with his firm tone. "Kirishima gave me a goddamn earful about it, so I just…" He trailed off and grit his teeth.

She shuffled awkwardly in her place before slowly walking toward him. "I appreciate it, Bakugo. I forgive you."

He seemed bewildered by her forgiveness and he snapped his eyes over to her. She was smiling at him with that dumbass grin and he hadn't noticed that she'd walked straight up to stand beside him. He felt himself become subdued under her sweetly beaming face. If he thought that the words in his throat were caught before, they were far more stuck now. "You… So that's it?"

"Well," She didn't break her smile, "I would have liked a free breakfast but I already ate."

He was still frozen under her smile and he could feel his heartbeat picking up speed. What on earth was this feeling? Half of him wanted to stay pinned underneath her smile and the other half wanted to touch her. It was foreign and absolutely terrifying. It wasn't another moment before it finally dawned on him; he was feeling weak.

"We could always rain check on it, though." Uraraka turned away from him, unknowingly freeing him from her silent hold. "Tell you what," She padded over to her kitchen to continue cleaning up her breakfast, "You can make it up to me with dinner instead. What do you like to eat?"

"Curry," The answer was automatic and he was thankful for the muscle memory. He used the moment to recollect himself and refocus on the conversation at hand.

She placed her dirty dish in the sink and ran water over it as she answered, "Curry it is."

How was she so calm right now? He wondered this as he sauntered over to stand across the counter. "Fine. I'm not taking you anywhere fancy, though."

"I doubted that," She quipped and shut the water off. "But curry is curry, right?"

"Whatever," He cursed under his breath and looked back toward the door. "I'll be back at five." He moved to exit her apartment and she watched him as he did so. "Do me a favor and don't be fucking late."

She couldn't help but giggle a little as he closed the door behind him, "Wouldn't dream of it."

"That was hella weird," Mina's voice broke Uraraka away from smiling to herself.

Uraraka's eyes snapped toward her bedroom door. Mina peeked around it cautiously and verified that Bakugo was gone. She practically skipped into the kitchen, a wild grin on her face.

"I thought you were still asleep," Uraraka's smile had disappeared completely.

"I was," Mina grabbed an apple from Uraraka's fruit basket and sat on a barstool, "But Bakugo's yelling could wake the devil in hell."

The brunette wasn't sure what to say about what her friend has just witnessed. It was like she'd been caught red-handed. "Yeah well, it certainly didn't help my hangover either."

"So," Mina passed the apple between her hands slyly, "What's going on with you and explosion face?"

"Uh," Uraraka cleared her throat and tried to busy herself with cleaning her kitchen counters, "He just came to say he was sorry."

Mina grinned greedily, "Bakugo saying he's sorry? I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it with my own two eyes. Breakfast too? That's just crazy. I still don't believe it."

"He's just…" Uraraka scrambled for an explanation.

"How does he know where you live?" Mina suddenly asked, taking a gratifying bite out of the fruit.

This was going to be much more difficult to explain, "He walked me home last weekend." She knew she wouldn't be able to cover this up with a lie.

Mina nearly choked, "What?" She hurriedly swallowed the bite. "Like, after the bar?"

"Yeah," Uraraka shrugged. "It's not that big of a deal." She hoped that would be explanation enough as she scrubbed at her countertop.

"Oh my gosh," Mina leaned back in her stool and threw her hands out, "How did you keep this from me?"

Uraraka's eyes widened with surprise at her friend's bewilderment, "Well, you never asked so…"

"This is insane," Mina muttered and shook her head. "Bakugo being a gentleman? Saying he's sorry and offering to buy you a meal? This is much more serious than I thought…"

Uraraka stopped her mindless cleaning to watch Mina settle this in her mind. "Yeah, Bakugo's really not that bad once you get to know him."

"Pfft," Mina scoffed and shook her head much harder. "No, trust me when I say that Bakugo is that bad. This all can only mean one thing."

"What are you going on about now, Mina?" Uraraka felt an unease growing her gut. She hadn't seen Mina like this before.

The pink girl jumped out of her seat, abandoning her breakfast fruit. "I have to go."

"Go where?" Uraraka fumbled out as she watched the other girl scramble for her shoes and purse. "Hey, are you listening?"

Mina ran up and hugged Uraraka before she pulled on her shoes. "I'll be back later. Just… Don't go anywhere before I get back, okay?"

"Wait, where are you going?" Uraraka asked helplessly as Mina waved a farewell and ran out the door. Before she knew it, she was alone in her apartment wondering how her morning had ended up like this.

* * *

Kirishima was leaving the gym when his phone buzzed with an urgent text message. He was surprised to see Mina's name pop up.

' _Kirishima! Meet me at my apartment asap! This is life or death. Code red!'_

He felt his heart leap to his throat at the text's pressing tone. In his state of worry, he opted not to respond but instead take off running toward Mina's place. A million scenarios ran through his mind as he sprinted through the morning crowds. Was she in trouble? Was she hurt? It was such a cryptic text that he couldn't keep himself from worrying.

Her apartment building couldn't have come into sight any sooner and he booked it up the stairs to her door. Just as he was about to burst through it, she swung it open, grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him inside. "Took you long enough!" She quipped and slammed the door behind them. "What, did you stop for coffee on the way?"

"What's going on?" Kirishima looked around the apartment for any signs of danger. "Are you okay?"

Mina fell over the top of her couch to lay on it and waved her hands at him, "Chill! It isn't what you think."

Kirishima was beside himself at her calmness. "Why did you send me such a vague message? I ran the entire way here!"

"And you still didn't get here fast enough," Mina frowned and pointed at the sofa across from hers. "Now shut up and sit down. We don't have a lot of time."

The red-head stared at her for another minute, unsure what to think. He slowly went to sit on the sofa opposite to her's and opened his hands as if to say, _'Well?'_

She sat up and narrowed her eyes at him, "What have you been keeping from me, Kirishima?"

"Keeping from you?" He asked dumbly and frowned. "You made me sprint here so you could interrogate me? I'm not keeping anything from you."

"Liar!" She pointed an accusing finger at him. "I was at Uraraka's apartment this morning and can you guess who showed up? Bakugo."

"So?" Kirishima shrugged. "How the hell was I supposed to know he'd be there? I'm not his damn keeper."

"But," Mina withdrew her accusing finger and pointed it at the ceiling knowingly, "You are that bastard's one and only friend."

Kirishima narrowed his eyes at the girl across from him, "What are you getting at, Mina?"

"Don't pretend you don't know, Kirishima." She squinted back at him. "That explody-face asshole showed up to apologize to Uraraka. Yes, you heard that right. He apologized!"

Kirishima looked away and hummed before he clasped his hands and leaned back against the couch cushions. "Well that's good. I told him to do that."

"I know you did," Mina held her frown. "I have to ask though, did you tell him to buy her some food too?"

This caught the red-head by surprise. "What?"

Mina smiled a little as she shared the news, "Yeah, he was going to take her to breakfast. The only thing that jerk was missing were flowers."

Kirishima sat upright and looked at her skeptically, "Bullshit."

"Like I would lie about that," Mina shrugged with a sense of entitlement. "It was like seeing a unicorn. So I'll ask you again, Kirishima. What are you not telling me?"

"For fuck sake, Mina." Kirishima shrugged dramatically. "What do you want me to say? Clearly, you know more than I do."

She kicked her legs off the couch and planted them on the floor. She leaned forward to stare at him, narrowing her eyes. "Don't lie to me about this. Does that hot-headed bastard have a crush on sweet little Uraraka?"

Kirishima groaned and regretted coming here at all. "If he does, do you really think Bakugo would tell me?"

"He shouldn't have to, dummy." She didn't budge from her observant pose. "You should just be able to tell."

"Well shit, Mina." Kirishima shrugged. "He might. Bakguo hasn't told me anything and he's not exactly open about his feelings, you know?" The last thing the red-head wanted to do right now was betray his best friend but he was in a really tight spot. Mina was only asking questions she already knew the answers to. There was no point in lying.

Mina broke out into a satisfying grin, "He does know that she's dating Deku, right?"

"Of course he does," Kirishima shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I doubt he'd even try to make a real move on her, so I'm not worried about it. It's kinda shitty though… I've been trying to help him get a girlfriend for years and the first girl he might like is dating his mortal enemy."

Mina released an amused sigh and spoke without thinking, "Well, we'll see how much longer that lasts."

Kirishima's ears perked at this new piece of information. "Wait a minute," He tilted his head at her. "The real question here is what are you not telling me?"

She clamped her mouth shut and shook her head. "I shouldn't have said that."

"No, it's too late for that now, Mina." Kirishima smirked at her disposition. "Spill it."

"I can't," She shook her head. "It is not my place to say. Uraraka told me about it in confidence."

Kirishima suddenly stood up and sauntered over to where she was sitting, "Then just tell it to me in confidence."

"I am not helping you set up your asshole friend with my sweet one," She gave him an intense look as he leaned down over her. "You won't get it out of me."

"I can try," He muttered as he met her defiant gaze.

She was thankful that her skin tone hid the blush on her face. "I don't think Bakugo is right for her."

"I disagree," Kirishima quickly withdrew and leaned back on his heels. "I don't think Deku is making her happy. At least, that's how Bakugo made it sound."

"But then he was a gigantic ass to her," Mina pointed out with a pout.

Kirishima smirked back, "Yeah, but he apologized, right?"

"If you could even call it an apology," Mina shrugged. "He mostly just yelled at her. I'm surprised that she agreed to let him take her out tonight."

The red-head's jaw dropped, "Damn, Mina. What else are you hiding?"

"Shut up, Kirishima!" She playfully made a move to attack him but withdrew at the last moment. "Now you know why I called a code red."

"I think I'm winning now," Kirishima grinned boyishly. "So what's this about them going out tonight?"

Mina pouted at his smirk, "Isn't it obvious? I'm going to need your help spying on them."

"Spying on Bakugo? My best friend? He'd kill me if he found us out." Kirishima liked where this was going. "Count me in."

* * *

Mina had blasted back into Uraraka's apartment a few hours ago. She'd been there and gone in a whirlwind, but the brunette hadn't missed Mina's message.

"I think this is a really bad idea," Mina had confessed while she gave the brunette's eyes another layer of eyeshadow.

"Why?" Uraraka asked pointedly and checked her eyes in the mirror. "It's just dinner."

Mina fluffed Uraraka's hair and shrugged, "Aren't you worried about what Deku will think?"

Uraraka laughed a little and shook her head, "Why would I be? This is Bakugo we're talking about."

"I know," Mina frowned and met Uraraka's eyes in the mirror. "That's why I'm asking."

The brunette shrugged and left the bathroom, "I'm not worried about it. It's just dinner between friends."

"Are you sure?" Mina asked hesitantly and followed the brunette into the bedroom.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Uraraka's blank face gave the impression that she hadn't caught onto Mina's suggestion.

The pink girl shook her head, "Nevermind. Just promise me that you'll call if you need to leave, okay?"

"Don't worry," Uraraka smiled and hugged her friend. "I'm just going for the free food."

Looking back on the conversation now, Uraraka knew that Mina was concerned about her. It had felt like there was something more that Mina wanted to say, but had decided against it. However, the brunette was trying not to dwell on it.

It was nearly five now and Uraraka felt somewhat nervous. She fidgeted with her hands as she checked herself in the mirror. She didn't get to go out often, so she wasn't sure how to dress. She had chosen to wear a nice pair of jeans and a flowy pink top that had sheer ruffles along the neckline. She supposed it was cute, but couldn't shake the feeling that it felt juvenile.

She slipped on some sandals and exited her apartment a minute before five. She descended the stairs from her third story loft and spotted spiky blonde hair on the street below.

He frowned as she reached the street and observed her outfit, "That's what you're wearing?"

She was taken aback and stared down at her clothes, "What? Was I supposed to wear something else?"

"Tch," He rolled his eyes and began walking. "Whatever, roundface. It's too late now."

She shook her head slightly and trotted behind him, "What's wrong with my outfit?"

"Nothing," He spat. "Let's just get this over with." He forced himself not to look back at her. Truthfully, there wasn't anything wrong with her outfit. He just couldn't see past the fact that it was so… Uraraka. It figures that she'd wear the most modest getup she could find. In fact, he was sure that she didn't own a single item of clothing that didn't leave everything to the imagination.

"Well at least I tried," She fell into step beside him. "You're wearing the same thing you had on this morning."

He resisted the urge to check his own look. A light grey v-neck and black jeans was his usual style and it had always worked for him. He'd never heard a complaint about it until now. "Does it fucking matter? I said to forget about it."

"Fine," She quipped and looked away. "Where are we going?"

"Do we have to talk?" Bakugo rolled his eyes and shoved his hands in his pockets.

She pouted to herself and sighed, "You're the one that's supposed to be making it up to me, remember?"

"Don't make me change my damn mind, roundface." He was regretting this severely. His ego was taking a major hit for this. "Because I will."

She zipped her lips as they walked and she decided that she'd bother him after he'd paid for their meal. She wasn't about to talk her way out of free food.

They arrived at a small but rowdy joint. It looked old but it was bustling with lively individuals. It wasn't terribly busy as they sat down at a small, wobbly table and the chefs huzzahed as they labored over steaming stove tops.

"What is this place?" Uraraka grinned happily around the rambunctious restaurant.

Bakugo ignored her smile and shrugged, "It's the best curry place in Tokyo."

"Mr. Ground Zero!" One of the chefs spotted them from his post. He ran over to their table and clapped the blonde on the shoulder. "It is always wonderful to have you here. You are my best customer!" The man was aged, wrinkles setting thick lines around his eyes. He glanced over at the brunette and smiled with a half-toothless grin, "You brought a friend for me this time, I see?"

Uraraka couldn't stop her smile from growing wider, "Hello!"

"This is a very special occasion, no?" The man turned his yellowed teeth back at the blonde. "I shall make fresh curry. Just for you!"

"Not necessary," Bakugo felt his lips smirk. "I owed her one so I'm paying up now."

"Oh…" The chef nodded. "Fresh curry anyway! You and your friend get nothing but the best here, yes?"

Bakugo frowned, "She's not my friend."

The chef completely disregarded Bakugo's correction, "Any friend of Ground Zero's is a friend to us!" He smiled one more time at Uraraka before turning back toward the kitchen and barking orders for a new batch of curry.

Uraraka giggled at Bakugo's begrudging expression, "So you come here often?"

"I said it's the best curry, didn't I?" He snapped at her and eyed his chopsticks.

"This place is so cool!" She watched the chefs set to work through the window panes to the kitchen. "I wish I could cook like that."

Bakugo didn't miss a beat, "Judging by how burnt your apartment smelled this morning, I'm guessing you can't cook much."

"Hey!" She giggled at his low blow, "I can cook!"

"Bullshit," He glowered at her from across the table.

She mindlessly placed her napkin on her lap and smiled to herself, "I'm actually having fun."

"I'll have to fix that," Bakugo replied coyly. He couldn't lie, he didn't mind her wide smile. It fit with the energy of the place and it felt natural.

They sat in a comfortable silence until their curry was served up to them, the friendly chef nodding enthusiastically as Uraraka tasted it.

As soon as it passed her lips, it felt like steam was coming out of her ears. She resisted the urge to spit it out, "This is really spicy!" She let out a hot breath through her mouth as she worked on downing it.

The chef laughed loudly at her predicament and looked back at Bakugo, who was mindlessly working on his own food. "Your girlfriend doesn't like spicy food?"

Both heroes choked on their curry at the question. Bakugo coughed and cleared his throat as quickly as he could, "She's not my girlfriend!"

"I'm not his girlfriend!" Uraraka sputtered out at the same time.

The chef glanced between them both awkwardly for a moment before he grinned widely again, "Oh, I'm sorry! Mr. Ground Zero has never brought any friend here before, especially one so cute!" The chef bowed, but his exuberant personality still shone through.

"Quit it, old man!" Bakugo threatening pointed a chopstick at the chef.

The chef was undeterred and nodded at them both, "I'll leave you to it, then!" He scuttled away to bark more orders at his employees.

"That was awkward," Uraraka laughed airily.

Bakugo frowned and began working over his food once more, "Whatever. That dinosaur is always trying to give me shit."

"But you're his best customer?" Uraraka stared down at the curry before her. "Then this curry must really be the best." She picked at it, worried for her fried taste buds.

He watched her unease and huffed a sigh of indignation, "Damn it, roundface. If you don't want it, then just order something else."

"No!" She waved her hands apologetically, "You're paying for it, so I'll eat it."

This would be amusing to watch. He dropped his chopsticks and leaned back in his chair, "Fine, then fucking do it." He crossed his arms and waited.

She breathed out an apprehensive laugh as she popped another bite into her mouth. "Mmm," She hummed unenthusiastically as she struggled to swallow. As soon as it was down the hatch, she grabbed for her water.

"That's weak," Bakugo stared at her intently. "Just fess up and get something else."

She looked half defeated and half grateful as she nodded her head, "How do you eat this stuff?"

"It's fucking good," Bakugo thought the answer was obvious.

She shook her head as she waved the chef down again, "Of course you'd say that."

* * *

After an overly zealous farewell from the chef and a plea to come back soon, Bakugo and Uraraka had finished their dinner. As they exited to the street, Bakugo was relieved to know that this nightmare was almost over.

"Thank you for the food, Bakugo." Uraraka padded along beside him as he began leading her back to her place. "I've definitely forgiven you now." She smiled up at him.

He broke his gaze away from the street ahead to meet her beaming face, "Damn it, do you ever quit it with the damn smiling?"

"Nope!" She shook her head. "I'm just really happy right now."

He felt his throat tighten at her reply and his felt an uncomfortable tingle run up his back. "Well don't get used to it, roundface. This was a one time deal." He forced himself to look away and was pleased that the sensation left him.

"I know," She breathed happily. "I'm just trying to enjoy this while it lasts."

They passed by a few shops and Bakugo didn't even notice the brunette disappear from his side. He'd gotten all the way to the street corner before he turned to see her absence. "What the shit?" He turned around to see her admiring something through a shop window. "What the fuck are you doing?"

She didn't respond, instead pointing at whatever she was looking at with a dopey smile. He felt a rush of annoyance as he marched back over to her and he worked up a flurry of insults to dish out for the delay. As he came up beside her, he finally saw the object of her admiration.

"Look how cute!" She hummed sweetly and tapped the window.

An orange kitten was tromping around just inside the shop, one of a litter that was in the window's display. Bakugo was miffed by it's expression as it stared up at him with wide eyes and puffy cheeks.

"He is so cute, I just want to snuggle him." Uraraka leaned into the glass and tapped it with her fingernails. "He's looking right at you."

Bakugo scowled at the kitten and it seemed to scowl right back. Damn, that little cat had some spunk. "It's not cute. Those things are fucking evil."

"They are not!" Uraraka giggled and jabbed him with an elbow. "It's just a kitten."

He tore his eyes away from the orange fluff ball and glared at her, "They do whatever the hell they want, they have razors for claws and they're always in a shit mood. Cats are fucking awful."

"Please," She rolled her eyes jokingly and turned her attention back toward the little cat. "They're adorable and sweet."

"Figures," He muttered. "I would have pegged you for a dog person."

"I love dogs," She replied gently. "But cats are less work."

He narrowed his eyes at her, "Then why the hell don't you have one?"

"Deku's allergic," Uraraka shrugged glumly. "Maybe I'll be able to get one later in life."

Bakugo eyed the adoption pamphlets that were bunched into a bin beside the window. He wandered over and grabbed one, offering it out to her. "Deku's not here, so just do whatever the fuck you want."

She stared at the pamphlet and considered his idea. "I can't," She finally shook her head and tore herself away from the window. "I should probably get home anyway. I don't want to keep you."

"Fucking finally," Bakugo jeered and followed her away from the store.

They neared her apartment and she looked up at him one last time, "Thanks again, Bakugo. This was fun."

"We're not doing that shit again," Bakugo frowned down at her as they came to a stop. He went to shove his hands in his pockets when he realized her was still holding the pamphlet. He crammed it in with his hands, opting not to bring the topic up again.

"I know," She rolled her eyes jovially. "And thank you for apologizing. I know it couldn't have been easy for you."

"Ain't that the fucking truth," He growled and clenched his jaw. "Don't ever mention this if you want to keep living."

She playfully motioned sealing her lips, "Your secret is safe with me, Bakugo."

He felt a little more relaxed at her promise and he breathed out a silent sigh before asking, "So are we good, roundface?"

"We're good," She smiled back and nodded. "Goodnight, Bakugo!" She waved a little before retreating up the stairs to her apartment.

He waited until she was inside before he turned to leave. The entire night suddenly came rushing back to him. Her damn smile was practically glued to her face the entire time and it was the single detail that he couldn't rid himself of. He felt the same uncomfortable feeling rush up his spine as he recalled her joyful grin at the pet adoption store. In response to tingling sensation, he forced himself to think of anything else and he focused his mind on his walking feet. He certainly did not have any fun tonight and even if he did, his pride would not allow him to admit it.

* * *

 **Hey everyone! I know this update took longer than normal but I had a serious case of writer's block. This was so hard to write and I'm still not sold on it. You'll definitely have to give me some feedback because this was stressful!**

 **NumberSixteen: Lol your reviews are always so enthusiastic and happy! It really helped me feel better after writing this :D Thanks for the review!**

 **MelodySincerelySong: Thank you and I'm glad she's seeing past it too. Perhaps we will find out the future of her and Deku very soon :D Thanks for the review! I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

 **sevas007: I'm glad you liked the last chapter :D I really hope you like this one too! Your reviews are always so fun to read. You're so kind and awesome :D**

 **Penrose Quinn: I love how attached you are to Bakugo and Uraraka's relationship, so I hope you liked them making up in the chapter :D You'll just have to wait and see what happens with her and Bakugo though :) I think you'll be pleasantly surprised :D thank you for your review!**

 **TheVincenzio: Your review was super duper nice :D I loved reading it and I'm glad you love reading my fic :D I hope this chapter met your expectations! Thank you so much for your review :D**

 **Also, thank you to everybody else who follows and favorites this story! I'm glad I have a following now and I hope you guys are enjoying this too :)** **I'll try not to be gone so long this time. You'll see a new update shortly! As always, pls review!**

 **XOXO**


	9. Chapter 9

Bakugo wrapped his towel around his waist and shook his head violently to expel all the water drops from his blonde hair. His phone blasted music through the bluetooth stereo on his bathroom sink and he set to work shaving his face. He'd had a productive day so far and with his gym workout and shower out of the way, he could finally kick back and relax.

Once all the unwanted facial hair had been expelled, he grabbed his speaker and left the bathroom in favor of grabbing a beer from his refrigerator. However, his plan did not exactly go how he had imagined. As soon as he entered his living room, he discovered a mop of ash-blonde hair lounging on his couch.

The woman peered over the magazine she held in her hands and her eyes widened for a moment before they hardened into anguish, "Katsuki! Why the hell aren't you dressed?!"

"What the shit?" Bakugo grew alarmed at the circumstance. He tensed and ran toward his bedroom. "Why the fuck are you here?!"

"How indecent!" She hollered back at him as he slammed his bedroom door shut behind him. "Do you always parade around your apartment wearing nothing but a towel? What if a neighbor sees you?!"

"I live on the top floor, you dusty hag!" He shouted through the door. "I doubt anyone is peeking through my windows!"

The woman scoffed and threw her magazine on the coffee table with disdain, "I will never be able to unsee that."

Another minute passed before Bakugo threw his door open and marched into his living space, now wearing sweats and a t-shirt. "I swear, if you don't get the hell out of here, I'll blast you to oblivion!"

"That's no way to speak to your mother, Katsuki." She frowned and stood up. "I was in town for a business meeting and I thought I would stop by."

"Have you ever heard of a fucking phone?" He clenched his teeth and flexed his hands.

"Hush up," She ordered mightily and planted her hands on her hips. "You don't ever call me either, so don't even start with that."

Bakugo debated on what to do next. Does he throw her out and tell her to call next time or does he find out what the hell she wants and get the gratification of telling her to fuck off? It was a tough call. "How did you even get in here?"

"Your spare key," She answered swiftly and started toward his kitchen. "Damn it, Katsuki. Do you ever do your dishes?"

"I've been working a shit ton, you wrinkly old crone." He followed her into his kitchen and snatched a beer from his refrigerator. "And I don't have a fucking spare key because I don't lose my fucking keys. So how'd you get in here?"

She balked at him and crossed her arms, "A magician never reveals their secret."

"That bullshit again?" Bakugo popped the cap on his bottle. "You have to stop doing this, mom."

She smirked at him before answering, "Doing what?" She feigned innocence.

"Dropping in unannounced," Bakugo spat and took a drink. "It's annoying. I'm an adult now, so you can't just barge in here like you own the place."

"But Katsuki," She whined and walked up to pull on his cheek, "If I didn't, you would just forget about me."

"Damn right I would," He slapped her hand away. "If you keep doing shit like this, then you shouldn't be surprised."

She withdrew herself and leaned against the counter, "Well tough shit. Either learn to call or deal with this. Also, don't keep walking around your apartment in the nude. It's obscene."

"I wasn't nude," He ground his teeth, "I had a towel. And if you hadn't just showed up like this, then we wouldn't have this problem."

She rolled her eyes in the same way Bakugo often did, "It's still revolting. If you insist that you're so grown up now, then at least have the decency to wear clothes."

"I live here!" He snapped.

As she finished rolling her eyes, they caught sight of a blue paper on his countertop. The printed paw print was what drew her attention, "What's this?" She grabbed it before he could snatch it away. "Are you getting a pet?"

"Fuck no," He yanked it from her hands and stuffed it into his pocket. "Mind your own business."

Mitsuki looked completely unamused, "Okay, mister. Enough with that foul mouth already. I didn't think you liked animals."

"Because I don't," He skewed his mouth into a deep frown. "Roundface is the one that wants one."

Her eyebrows rose with surprise, "Who's that?"

He swirled the beer in his hand with irritation, "Doesn't fucking matter. She's just a coworker."

"She?" Mitsuki's tone changed to one of endearment. "Forget animals, I didn't even think you liked women."

Bakugo felt his face turn beet red with anger, "What the hell are you trying to say, hag?"

"Tell me about her, Katsuki." His mother's smile had a clear agenda.

"Get the hell out of here," Bakugo marched over to the door and threw it open, signalling it was time for her to leave.

Kirishima was shocked to see the door fly open as he prepared to knock, "Eh?"

Bakugo heard the surprised sound and turned to see the red-head holding up a hand to knock. "Wha-" He started incredulously, "Seriously? Does everybody just show up here unannounced?"

"Kirishima!" Mitsuki cooed from the kitchen and came running. "I haven't seen you in a long time, come in!"

Bakugo was helpless as his friend entered and hugged the older woman, "What's up, Mrs. B?"

She pressed her knuckles on the top of his spiky hair and noogied, "Still up to no good I see?"

"Always," Kirishima smiled and fixed his hair as he stood upright. "What's going on in here?"

"You're both leaving," Bakugo spat and continued to hold the door wide open.

Mitsuki waved her hand dismissively, "Nonsense. Just ignore him, Kirishima. Want a beer?" She wandered back into the kitchen and retrieved two.

"That sounds awesome," Kirishima nodded enthusiastically and mouthed an apology back toward Bakugo.

The younger blonde seethed at the doorway, "I only have a few hours left of my day off and I won't have you two ruining it."

"Say, Kirishima," Mitsuki handed Kirishima the beer and clanked her own with his. "Do you know someone that goes by the nickname 'roundface?'"

"Don't ignore me!" Bakugo was verging on blowing the door handle clean off.

"Sure do," Kirishima also ignored the blonde at the doorway, "You remember Uraraka Ochako from our high school?"

"She's the gravity girl, right?" Mitsuki sipped from her bottle.

Kirishima nodded, "That's her."

"Damn you, Kirishima." Bakugo growled and felt his palms tingle with unhinged rage. "Shut the hell up if you want to live."

"Hmm," Mitsuki nonchalantly took another drink. "I haven't seen her since you all graduated. Is she doing well?"

"She's fine," Bakugo slammed the door and stalked up to them. He made a move to grab them both, but Mitsuki gracefully grabbed one of his ears and dug her nails in deep to keep him subdued.

"You're being rude to your guests, Katsuki." She chided him and turned her attention back to Kirishima. "And you're doing well too?"

"Sure am," Kirishima didn't hinder his goofy grin. "Edgeshot has us all working hard as usual."

She smiled sweetly at him before frowning at her son, "He better be. Is he keeping my son in check as well?"

"Bakugo?" Kirishima asked dumbly, "Yeah, this guy is totally kicking all our asses. It won't be too much longer before he breaks into the top twenty."

She nodded slowly as she gripped her son's ear. "Are you finished with your tantrum, Katsuki?"

"Let me go so I can kill you both," Bakugo spat and pulled away from his mother's grip. "If you two want to keep blabbing like a lot of girls, then find somewhere else to do it."

"Relax," Mitsuki soothed her tone. "I'll leave after this drink. You should learn to treat your mother with more respect."

"Speak for yourself. You're the one who should learn some manners," Bakugo snapped back.

She ignored him once again and continued her discussion with the red-head, "As nice as it is to see you, what are you dropping by for?"

"Uh," Kirishima stumbled over his words. "You know, guy stuff."

She wasn't convinced in the slightest. "Really? What kind of guy stuff?"

"Oh, you know." Kirishima glanced awkwardly around the room. "Just… Guy stuff."

She sucked down more of her beer and glanced over at her son. "As in… Talking about girls?"

"Mom," Bakugo ran a hand through his still damp hair, "It's none of your damn business. Quit being a nosy old crone."

"Oh?" She wondered innocently, "Does my handsome son finally have a little lady?"

Bakugo scowled, "Keep dreaming."

"Hey," Kirishima came to his buddy's defense. "I don't have a girlfriend either, so…"

Bakugo wanted to punch Kirishima so bad. Little did the red-headed bastard know, he'd made this entire thing much worse by showing up at the worst possible time.

Mitsuki bemusedly took another swig of her drink, "You two sound like you need to get out more. You're in your twenties now and I'm sick of waiting."

"And you'll die waiting," Bakugo grouched. "Hurry up and finish that drink."

The blonde woman paused for a moment before shoving her drink into her son's hands. "Fine, I get the message. Call me this week, won't you?"

"Like I said," Bakugo escorted his mother to the door, "Keep dreaming, hag."

She pulled her son into a hug and whispered in his ear, "I'm always one call away if you ever need some lady advice." She withdrew before he had the chance to retort and exited the apartment. "You better call unless you want a repeat of today!"

"Die already!" Bakugo barked back and slammed the door. He loved his mom, but damn it, she was such a pain in the ass.

"It's always so refreshing seeing your mom," Kirishima joked and downed some of his drink.

"Fuck off," Bakugo dumped out the last of her beer and tossed the bottle in the garbage. "What do you want, asshat?"

Kirishima shrugged and plopped down on Bakugo's comfortable sofa, "I thought we could hang out."

"Damn it," Bakugo clenched his fist around his own drink, "Has anybody in this fucking city ever heard of using a damn phone?"

Kirishima turned on Bakugo's tv and kicked his feet up on the coffee table, "I would have called, but I knew you'd say no."

"So you just show up anyway?" Bakugo frowned at the unaffected red-head.

Kirishima didn't bother looking back toward the kitchen, "Better to ask forgiveness than permission. Hey, could you hand me another beer?"

"Get it your damn self," Bakugo growled and sauntered over to the sofa and sat on the other end. "Since when were you so damn chummy with my mom?"

Kirishima cracked a smile at Bakugo's attitude, "Dude, your mom is awesome and she gives you so much shit. It's hilarious. Plus, she's the only person I know that has actual dirt on you."

"Tch," Bakugo rolled his eyes and took a drink from his beer. "One of these days that hag with regret everything she's ever said."

"Don't even lie, Bakugo." Kirishima flipped through the channels on the television, "You love her for it."

"Fuck no, I don't!" Bakugo shot back and pulled out his phone. "Either shut the hell up or leave."

Kirishima decided to go with option one. He finally found a Rambo movie and decided that it would be something both of them could enjoy watching. He side-glanced at Bakugo every now and then, but the blonde ignored him and played on his phone.

On the other end of the sofa, Bakugo was losing interest in his phone game pretty fast. Even he got tired of winning at times so he closed the app and opened Facebook instead. He hated seeing other people's lives but perhaps he could find something new and embarrassing to give someone at the office shit about.

He scrolled for a while, ignoring all the annoying posts about family and how great everybody's lives were. He usually only watched the videos that people shared, so he occupied himself with that in the meantime.

Finally, a photo caught his eye. He stopped his mindless scrolling to look at it for a while. Uraraka had taken a new profile picture. It was a selfie of her posing with two cat statues in the Ginza shopping district. She was smiling happily and was holding up a peace sign. He didn't have to guess that she was happy, her goofy grin said it all.

Kirishima had gotten up for another beer and was in the kitchen behind the sofa. He was about to ask if Bakugo wanted another as well when he spied the blonde looking intently at something on his phone. Curious, Kirishima slyly caught a glimpse from behind the couch. The red-head couldn't stifle his chuckle before grabbing two more drinks.

Bakugo heard the noise and turned to glare at the red-head, "The fuck are you laughing at, dipshit?"

Kirishima rounded the couch and sat down again, offering Bakugo the second beer. "You."

Bakugo was taken aback as he popped open his new drink, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He locked his phone and dropped it in his lap.

Kirishima didn't quit his smile yet, "You just can't help it, can you?"

"Help what?" Bakugo sneered and clenched his beer bottle.

"Nevermind. Mina told me some interesting information about Uraraka yesterday," Kirishima knew he was walking a fine line between getting thrown out and getting beat up.

"And I should care, why?" Bakugo rolled his eyes and took a drink.

The red-head shrugged, "I thought you might want to know."

"Like hell I do," Bakugo scowled and tried to focus on the Rambo movie.

"I asked Mina about Uraraka and Deku and she said that they may not last much longer." Kirishima tapped his chin with a knowing smile, "She didn't care to tell me why though."

"I don't punch girls, Kirishima, but you're kinda asking for it," Bakugo warned.

Kirishima recoiled slightly but still laughed at Bakugo's harsh tone, "Touchy subject, huh?"

"Not at all," Bakugo tensed and tried to intensify his scowl. "I don't give a shit about what roundface and Deku do."

"I don't know about that," Kirishima mumbled too quietly for Bakugo to make out. He didn't miss a beat before pressing ahead, "I think that Uraraka is beginning to realize that Deku isn't right for her now that he's across the world."

Bakugo growled and shut his eyes frustratedly, "I really don't give a flying fuck."

"Listen," Kirishima shuffled a little on the sofa, "I'm not an idiot, Bakugo. I'm your best friend."

Bakugo snapped furious red eyes onto his friend, "You can tell yourself that you're not an idiot all you want but that doesn't change the truth."

"Come on, man," Kirishima met Bakugo's glare with a quirked eyebrow. "I've known you for years now. You've never taken a liking to any of the girls we've hung out with before so it's hard not to see it when you do."

Bakugo was gearing up to throw that bastard out the nearest window and let him fall all the way to the street. "Fuck off, Kirishima. If you know what's good for you, you'll shut the hell up right now."

"I'm just trying to help," Kirishima shot back. "You couldn't get more hopelessly single if you were trapped on an iceberg in antarctica. I don't think that there's going to be another girl that comes along that will measure up to your insanely high standards."

Bakugo was getting an itch to blow something up, "I'm not fucking around, Kirishima. I will kill you right now."

"I know you're not," The red-head sat up and stared Bakugo down, "But I just want you to be happy, man. Doesn't it bother you being alone all the time? Seriously dude, if your only priority is work then you're not really living."

Kirishima's words didn't carry the weight that he had hoped they would. Bakugo didn't seem to be affected whatsoever by his call to man up. The blonde simply held his deathly glare and the red-head wondered if he'd pushed too hard. No matter the case, he was already waist deep in this. "Whatever, dude. Maybe I'm seeing this all wrong. But if I'm not, then quit being a pushover and do some damn winning. You're always going on about the importance of it at work, so quit letting yourself get further behind in this part of your life. If I know you at all, then I know that you never take anything lying down."

Bakugo didn't relent with his glare, but he felt his chest grow tight. Kirishima never spoke to him like this, but this was the second time this week. He finally turned away and worked on his beer again, scowling at the tv.

Kirishima breathed out a quiet sigh of thankfulness. Perhaps he wasn't going to have to fight with Bakugo after all.

"You're a bastard, Kirishima." Bakugo barely growled out the words.

The red-head chuckled and finally relaxed in his seat again, "Correction: I'm your best bastard."

"No, just a bastard." Bakugo clenched his teeth.

Kirishima let the refutation hang in the air unanswered and let the blonde be. He'd said what he needed to say, so now it was up to Bakugo to decide what to do with it. He only hoped that he'd said the right things and that he'd gotten his message across. Bakugo was good enough for Uraraka and Kirishima knew it. It didn't matter what Mina or anyone else thought because he knew the best parts of Bakugo that nobody else ever sees. That explody jerk was a proud and tough dude, but he's sensitive behind that scowl. Uraraka was the other other person that could possibly see that too. That is, if Bakugo would be willing to reveal it to her.

Bakugo was irritated as he unpacked Kirishima's unfiltered lecture in his mind. That jackass was beginning to know him too well. But that red-headed dick had a point. Bakugo never accepts defeat, so was he doing that now? How would he even know? He hadn't even seriously considered having feelings for anyone before, so how would he be able to tell if his attraction to Uraraka was legitimate or lustful? Maybe it was neither and it was simply mild interest. Damn it, he can't get that roundface's smile out of his head now.

Suppose he did like her. Why would he? There was nothing particularly spectacular about her. She was a low rank hero, but she was working hard to fix that. She wasn't gorgeous, but he could at least call her cute. She didn't cry every five seconds anymore, maybe that was plus. Also, she seems to have developed a smart mouth. She'd caught him off guard a few times with that. But that stupid smile… It was the biggest issue. He wanted to hate it so bad, but he just couldn't. It was her secret weapon that so easily put him under a spell. Was this what Deku always saw in her?

That damn nerd... Seriously, fuck that guy. He was a pest that Bakugo just could not rid himself of. He was Mr. Perfect and everybody loved him. The media love him, he public loves him, and even All-Might loved him enough to hand over his quirk to that shitnerd. He was any girls parents' wet dream.

It never ceased to baffle the blonde by how easy everything came to Deku. So how the fuck could that shithead be screwing up so bad with Uraraka? Doesn't he know what he has? First he muzzled her by keeping her from moving to Tokyo and then he abandons her after all this time? And where does that dick get off on treating her like she's a pet? Whether Bakugo liked Uraraka or not, he'll buy her a drink regardless if she dumps his sorry ass. That girl deserves better than that kiss-ass nerd.

Oh, what the hell? Bakugo didn't know how he felt yet, but he'd sure as hell be happy in seeing those two break up. In the meantime, he could sort out everything else.

Bakugo felt a rush of bravery and snatched up his phone again. When he unlocked it, Uraraka's face was smiling back at him. His heart clenched as he considered his options. It was a good picture after all, so he didn't hesitate to 'like' it. He hoped he wouldn't regret this.

* * *

Kirishima clapped Bakugo on the back roughly as he stood in the doorway, "Thanks for the beers, man. Let's do this again, huh?" His words slurred slightly as he checked his watch, "Shit, I can't believe it's already eleven o'clock!"

"Let's not do this again," Bakugo pushed the red-head out of his apartment.

"See you tomorrow?" Kirishima ignored the comment and smiled.

Bakugo rolled his eyes and went to close the door, "Fuck off, Kirishima."

The red-head waved one last time before heading down the hallway toward the elevator, "See ya!"

Bakugo shut the door and turned back toward his empty and chaotic apartment. Damn, his mother and Kirishima had no problem leaving a mess. He cracked open the last beer in his refrigerator as he set to cleaning up, but found it harder than he anticipated. Perhaps he'd had more to drink than he'd thought.

He grabbed a garbage bag and began dumping the empty beer bottles inside before shutting down his Xbox and letting the silence settle in. The clank of the bottles in the bag and his somewhat stumbling footsteps were the only sounds to be heard now.

He dropped the bag by his front door for the morning and haphazardly put away the two Xbox controllers. He surmised that he'd cleaned up enough for now and made his way into his bedroom. He could finish the cleaning job tomorrow when he was sober.

Bakugo's bedroom is modern, roomy and stylish. Thick red curtains accented the dark grey walls and his black duvet was neatly pleated across his king bed. His dresser and bedside tables were also black, stark against the bed's crisp white headboard. The decorations were few and far between. Lamps, a bowl for his keys, and a single photo of himself and All-Might at graduation. It looked simple, yet it also felt complex and adult. Sleek was the word that Kirishima had used.

Bakugo ignored turning the light on as he collapsed on his soft bed and groaned at his drunken state. He needed to quit drinking like this on the weekends. Sooner or later it would affect his work. He rolled over on top of the duvet and adjusted his sweatpants to sit more comfortably on his hips.

As he stared at the ceiling, it dawned on him how quiet it was. He lifted his head and looked around, the only sound coming from his head moving over the covers. He sighed and stretched his arms out, hardly able to touch either side of the bed. Such a large bed seemed like a waste.

He never minded silence, in fact he preferred it. But right now, he couldn't shake the feeling of being alone. Nothing in this huge apartment ever changed. It was always exactly the way he left it in the morning. Why that was bothering him now? He wasn't sure.

Maybe Kirishima had been right. Was he getting tired of being alone? But it had been his staple for so many years… Changing that now would mean that he'd have to change everything else about his life too. Was it worth the distraction from his ultimate priority?

His mind shifted to being a hero. Being the top hero has been the only goal he's ever strived for. Everything else came second. Family, friendships, and especially love… They are all so low on the totem pole of priorities and have been since the beginning. He kept his body in top condition and his eyes set on the prize. It was so easy, but he'd never considered it lonely.

Was it lonely? Perhaps not. It made everything else less complicated. While Kirishima and Kaminari had been swooning over a variety of women, Bakugo was hitting the gym. While they took time off to visit their families, he was working overtime. And when they would drag him out for guys nights, his mind was always on the next work day. It was so damn simple and that is how he likes it. Simplicity is his key to success.

Until now.

Uraraka sprung to his mind and he clenched his jaw brutishly. She'd thrown a damn monkey wrench into his entire life. When he'd normally be home by midnight, he was buying her shit coffee and walking her drunk ass home. When he'd usually be getting ready for the work day, he was watching her beat the living hell out of a punching bag and then giving her advice. When she blew up in his face, he actually felt guilty and apologized! Hell, even his patrols with her had been talkative.

He slammed an infuriated fist down on his bedspread and scowled. Who even was he anymore? He had never done anything of that sort until she got here. In fact, it had never even crossed his mind. He should have stuck with pretending that he didn't know her at all the first day she showed up at the agency. Maybe this would have never happened.

But that smile…

It was charming, sweet, and completely unhindered. Even toward him, she didn't hide a tooth of it. At first, it was annoying as all hell, but steadily it changed. It was no longer a cheap cop out she used, now it was endearing. It was genuine and a breath of fresh air. Thinking about it now made his dark bedroom light up with sunshine.

"Argh!" Bakugo bellowed and swiftly sat up to run his hands through his messy blonde spikes. He pulled at the tufts on the back of his head as he clenched his jaw as tightly as he dared. "Damn you, roundface!" He squeezed his eyes shut angrily.

A moment passed and it was silent again. Not even a breeze brushed the windows.

He sighed and released the tense hold on his hair to lean back on his palms. This was infuriating. How did one girl manage to complicate his life to this extreme? He doesn't like her!

Does he?

For once in his life, he wasn't sure. The ever-decisive Bakugo Katsuki was at odds with himself. It was so unsettling.

He shook his head and told himself it was the alcohol. He couldn't think straight with all this booze clogging his mind. He'd figure it all out tomorrow.

He finally lay back and tried to fall asleep but the silence was deafening.

* * *

 **I am so glad for the praise I got on the last chapter so thank you to all of you! I totally thought I'd blown it and I was sooo stressed out about it. THANK YOU for helping me to not doubt myself. You're all so fantastic!**

 **I decided to challenge myself a little with this chapter and write completely about Bakugo. It was a tough challenge, but I pulled through! Hopefully, this gives more insight into Bakugo's state of mind.**

 **Penrose Quinn: Pfft! You're so cute. I wish I had a secret quirk! I'm so glad you liked the convo between Kirishima and Mina though! That was what I was most worried about! :D Thanks for your review!**

 **TheVincenzio: I am so glad I could help! I really hope your exam went well. Literary theory sounds like an awesome major though (I'm a mathematics major so I think you're lucky lol). I'm really glad you liked the last chapter and hopefully this one is a reward for your hard work! Thanks for the review!**

 **MelodySincerelySong: Thank you so much for your review. I hadn't really thought of Bakugo like that either, but I'm really glad you like the way I write him. In fact, your review was my inspiration to write this chapter the way I did. I figured that it would be a real challenge, so I hope you enjoy! Thanks for the review!**

 **sevas007: I can tell you're excited for some Kacchako fluff xD I actually just finished an official outline for the remainder of the story last night and I can promise you in just a few more chapters, you'll get what you came for! Thanks for the review!**

 **Clarissa Kirishima: Welcome to my kacchako trash fic LOL. We are happy to have you and I'm stoked you like this so far. Hopefully you will like this chapter too! Thanks for the review!**

 **I have a quick announcement for you guys too : My best friend is getting married next week so I'm going to be out of town starting tomorrow and I'll be swamped with Maid of Honor duties. If I have the time, I will write! Buuuut, over the next week the updates will be much fewer. Don't worry though, I'll do the best I can until I can get back to my normal schedule!**

 **I'm going to spend some time tonight and tomorrow writing as much as I can so hopefully I'll be able to get ahead of the update curve for you guys. I'll just write a bunch of rough drafts and hopefully I'll have time to edit and post them. Until then, just know I love you all.**

 **XOXO**


	10. Chapter 10

Kirishima was settled comfortably into his couch with his laptop. A tv show played in the background as he finished up some work mindlessly. A few empty beer bottles were scattered on the coffee table that he was resting his feet on and the setting sun allowed streaks of orange to peek through his curtains.

He typed out a quick response to an email before exiting to his inbox. The weekly newsletter that the agency sent out was still unopened and he figured he'd read it for once. Edgeshot had risen to the third rank hero spot over the weekend, so he was curious what the agency had to say about it.

He scanned the email and read the extensive piece on Edgeshot's success. Everyone had been congratulating the high ranking pro since Monday morning, so a highlight of his achievements was not unusual for a celebratory week. Kirishima sipped his beer as he finished reading and came to the bottom of the page. An announcement caught his eyes.

" _A company party will be held Friday evening in Edgeshot's honor. Employees are not required to attend, but it is encouraged. Attire is formal."_

The redhead paused mid-drink and raised his eyebrows. A company party, huh? It isn't often that agencies hold parties so this seemed like an opportunity. Who knew who else would be in attendance? Perhaps the rest of the top ten would be there. It could be really good exposure and a rare chance for him to make introductions with higher ranking heroes. The more well known he is among the top ten, the better chances he'll have of getting there himself.

Before he could form a proper idea about the party, a rowdy knock came to his door. "Who are you and what do you want?" He called from the couch.

The knocking ceased and there was silence, piquing the red-head's interest. "I don't want to buy whatever it is you're selling!" He slowly set his laptop and beer onto the table in front of him and made his way to the door. He peered through the peephole and sighed before opening the door.

Mina was standing with crossed arms and a tapping foot. Her face was pouting and riddled with disdain.

"Hey Mina," Kirishima smiled and waved. "What's up?"

"Are you serious?" She chided with a snarky tone. "We go undercover to spy on our friends and then you never talk to me about it again?"

Kirishima chuckled, "What do you want me to say? It's only been a few days."

Mina squinted at him, "Actually it's already been three whole days. Do you have any idea what you've missed?"

The red-head scoffed and opened the door wider, "I guess not... Come on in."

She flounced into his apartment and immediately noticed the beer bottles on the coffee table, "Seriously Kirishima? It's a wednesday night."

He waved her off and went to plop back down on his sofa, "Those aren't all from tonight. I'm starting a collection."

She looked around the cluttered apartment as she settled into a red beanbag a few feet away from him, "I will never get over how cheesy your bachelor pad is."

He smirked, "Did you come here to make fun of me or did you come to talk?"

She motioned to the poster of Mt. Lady in a suggestive pose that was hanging across the room, "Need I say more?"

"Yeah, okay. I get it." Kirishima made a mental note that it might be wise to remove that poster from this room. "What's going on?"

She sunk into the beanbag chair a little deeper and tapped her fingers on one of her knees, "I have a random question... Have Uraraka and Bakugo been getting along?"

Kirishima shrugged a little, "I guess they have. It's like last week never even happened. Although, it's hard to tell because Uraraka has morning patrol and Bakugo has afternoons. They barely see each other except for the briefing meetings."

"Damn it," She muttered.

He looked bewildered, "Alright, tell me. What is going on?"

She sighed loudly and frowned, "I just went by Uraraka's place to check on her and it is not looking good."

"What's not looking good?" Kirishima was curious now.

She waved her hands around frustratedly, "I guess she called Deku earlier today and it just went… ugh…" She dropped her head into her hands. "I don't understand why they're fighting like this."

"Hold on," Kirishima shuffled on the sofa, "So she called him?"

"That's what she said," Mina shrugged, "I'm just thinking she's making a really big mistake if she breaks up with him. And it really doesn't help her that mister explosion kill king is lurking in the background."

"Did she say she was going to do that?" Kirishima avoided the Bakugo topic and tried to refocus her.

"No," She shook her head and sighed again. "But I bet she's thinking about it."

Kirishima hummed and leaned back in his seat, "That's some big news."

"Well that's not why I'm here," She finally looked over at him. "You have to tell Bakugo to back off. I'm not going to let that bastard get in the way of them fixing their problems."

Kirishima was mildly miffed, "Why are you so convinced that Bakugo is some giant asshole that will break her heart?"

She shook her head in disbelief, "Oh, I don't know. Maybe because that's exactly what he is?"

"Come on, Mina." Kirishima shook his head reluctantly. "We've all known Bakugo for a long time. Sure, he's a hardass, but he's not actually an ass. And that's beside the point, Bakugo isn't going to make a move on her. He's too macho for that."

She crossed her arms defiantly, "Well, you're right about one thing. We have known that blonde jerk for a long time and I don't think I'm wrong in saying that he just doesn't fit with Uraraka. Shouldn't his type be tall, gorgeous and bitchy?"

"Don't make me laugh, Mina." Kirishima chuckled a little. "Bakugo is… Well, he's not only what you see on the surface. I think you're selling him pretty short."

"Well I've also known Uraraka for a long time," Mina shot back mightily. "She deserves someone who will love her and cherish her. Someone who loves all the same things she does."

Kirishima scoffed as he stared back at her, "And you don't think that Bakugo can be that."

"I don't." She replied sternly and tried to sit up more on the beanbag. "She needs someone who is supportive, loving, and kind. Someone who treats her the way she deserves to be treated."

"Someone like Deku." Kirishima finished her thought for her and gave her an unamused look.

"Exactly!" She gestured gratefully by tossing her hands up.

Kirishima pondered her words for a moment and pulled one of his couch pillows on his lap. "The way I see it, Deku hasn't done much for her at all. I mean, come on, it's obvious at this point. He's not doing any of those things."

She glared at him, "That's bullshit and you know it. Deku has been so good to her."

"Has he?" Kirishima let the question hang in the air for a moment. "He's been so busy chasing his own goals that he puts her second. Do you really think that will change? I doubt it."

She breathed a contempt sigh, "And you think Bakugo would be better at that? Give me a break."

"I do," He shrugged easily. "If there is anything we all know about Bakugo, it is that he puts his goals and achievements on a pedestal. Why wouldn't he do the same for a girl?"

She shook her head wildly, "You can't be serious. This is Bakugo we're talking about. Bakugo! Open your eyes, Kirishima. That guy is incapable of giving her what she deserves."

"Why?" Kirishima felt himself getting a bit heated. "Because he's not all sunshine and rainbows like Deku? He's a difficult guy, I'll give you that, but he's not completely heartless. He will treat her better than Deku ever has and ever will. If he feels the way I suspect he does, then he might be capable of more than you are willing to give him credit for."

She was also becoming slightly impassioned as she wrestled to get out of the beanbag chair, "I have a really hard time believing that, Kirishima. Why would she risk destroying what she has with Deku for a guy like Bakugo? What she has with Deku is good!"

"It's not." Kirishima's voice felt stern and bold. "She's done nothing but give up what she wants for him only to find herself here. Think about it, Mina. How many times do you think she's cried over that guy since she got to town?"

She finally stood up and locked her hands on her hips to scowl at him, "It doesn't matter. Every relationship has struggles and compromise. Uraraka and Deku are just now beginning to figure that out so I think they should be left alone to do it."

"Then quit meddling, Mina." Kirishima also stood up and approached her. "You're so busy telling me to back off, but I'm just doing the same thing you're doing. I'm having my friend's back and I think you're wrong about Bakugo."

She huffed with indignation as she glared up at him, "Look, I don't hate Bakugo whatsoever and I don't want you to think that. In fact, I really like the guy. I just don't think…" She trailed off as she tried to hold her glare.

He also felt his frustration declining and he rested a hand on her arm, "You can be so stubborn, Mina. Would anything convince you that Bakugo's not all bad?"

She pursed her lips and shook her head softly, "I don't know. I really want to take your word for it, but I can't help but to be skeptical. You're not completely wrong about Deku, but that's three years of her life. I think she'd struggle flushing all of that away."

"I get it," Kirishima dropped his hand and nodded. "That's a lot of wasted time for her. But she needs to do what makes her happy, right? I told Bakugo the same thing. Both of them deserve happiness. Why not let both of them try?"

Mina sighed defeatedly and plopped onto his couch, "Well now I don't know what to do about this." She pulled her phone from her purse and showed it to Kirishima.

He looked down at the screen to see an email from Deku, "What does it say?" He settled in a few inches away from her.

"He's asking me about Uraraka." She shrugged and scrolled through the email. "He wants to know what's going on with her and he's hoping I can tell him."

Kirishima nodded slowly, "That sounds about right."

"Stop it," She felt a small smile play on her lips. "He's just a worrisome boyfriend that wants to know if his girlfriend is alright. It's only natural he'd reach out to me."

"What are you going to say back?" He asked curiously.

She shrugged again, "Well I was going to tell him that she was just frazzled about being in the city and her job. Honestly, I was going to tell him to just be understanding and a good listener, but now I don't know. That doesn't seem right."

Kirishima rolled his head on his neck a little before shaking his head, "You should just ignore it. You said it yourself, they should work it out on their own."

"I know I did," She frowned at the screen, "But I can't just ignore the guy. He loves her."

Kirishima wanted to groan but repressed it, "Damn, Mina. Just tell him that you don't know because you've been busy."

She sighed softly and typed out a reply, "How about this: Hi Deku! I'm sorry but I don't know how much help I can be. Uraraka doesn't really want to talk about it and we've both been super busy. If I hear anything from her, I'll let you know."

"That sounds alright," Kirishima shrugged.

She paused and read it over once more before signing her name and sending it. She groaned and dropped the phone in her lap before sinking into the couch cushions. "This is rough."

"Do you think they're over?" Kirishima wasn't sure what answer he wanted.

She heaved a massive shrug, "Who knows? Poor Uraraka… She really loves him too. It sucks that this is happening to her."

Kirishima patted her hand that she'd rested on the sofa cushion between them, "She's strong. She'll be alright."

"Here's what I don't get," She scoot herself up a few inches on the sofa, "She obviously loves him, right? I mean, why else would she stay with him for three years? But as soon as she moved to Tokyo and he moved to New York, she only just realized that he was kind of overbearing?"

Kirishima patted her hand some more, "Well, she might not have noticed it before because he was right in front of her instead of across the globe. Maybe she's just not used to having her own separate life."

"But this whole thing about Bakugo…" She frowned at the tv that was looping through commercials, "He seems to like her, but does she like him now? She hasn't said a word to me about it."

"Maybe she doesn't have those kinds of feelings toward him." Kirishima felt bummed out for his blonde friend. "Maybe Bakugo is the only one that she can get an honest opinion from. He is that kind of person…"

She hummed and pondered his idea, "But that whole dinner thing on Saturday was just… weird. She looked like she had a ton of fun. Even Bakugo looked like he was having a good time, not like I would be able to tell the difference."

"Well he was trying to make it up to her." Kirishima released her hand and rested his own on his chest. "It takes a lot for Bakugo to suck up his pride like that. I think we have to give him some brownie points for it."

Mina huffed frustratedly, "I don't really care about that explosion idiot right now. I want to know what's going on in Uraraka's head. She doesn't talk about it and it's driving me mad! How am I supposed to be a good friend to her if I don't know what she's thinking or feeling?"

"Bakugo's no cakewalk either," Kirishima sympathized. "There is a company party on Friday night, though. It wouldn't be a bad idea to keep an eye on them there. You could be my plus one."

She slapped him playfully on the arm, "Why didn't you say anything about that sooner?"

"It wasn't relevant!" Kirishima feigned an injury and cracked a goofy grin. "So it's a date?"

She narrowed her eyes at him, "I'll fall on my sword for this one, Kirishima. But it's only for my dear, sweet friend Uraraka."

"Damn Mina!" Kirishima laughed loudly, "I didn't realize you were this hard to get!"

"Stop it!" She punched him playfully before they relaxed on the couch and let the conversation float away, "Hold on, is this a reality show?" She pointed toward the tv and grinned.

"There are no judgements under this roof." He snagged the remote, "The girls are hot, okay?"

* * *

Bakugo was quick to notice that Uraraka was missing from work the next morning. She'd seemed distracted all week, so he wasn't entirely surprised to know that she had taken a day off.

As the briefing meeting ended, he couldn't help but wonder the circumstances of her absence. Maybe she was feeling ill. She hadn't seemed like her normal self the last few days, so it didn't sound unreasonable. However, she definitely didn't appear to be coming down with anything. But how could he judge that? He only saw her for a few minutes each morning and a for few moments in passing during the day.

His curiosity was alarming. Did he really give a shit what she did during her time off? Of course he didn't! So why was he asking himself about it? However, his attitude certainly seemed to reflect his inner warfare.

"You going to the company party?" Kirishima was walking alongside Bakugo toward their offices to start their day.

"Fuck off, Kirishima." Bakugo was in no such mood to deal with this guy's shit today.

Kirishima brushed it off without a care, "You'd be an idiot if you didn't take the opportunity. Who knows who's going to be there."

"Do I look like a fucking idiot to you?" Bakugo spat back with more resentment than usual.

Kirishima blinked at Bakugo before giving him an up-down look, "Honestly, I can't tell."

"Why the fuck do I hang out with you?" Bakugo considered his punishment if he decked the red-head right here in the hallway.

"Who else would you hang out with?" Kirishima teased and went to clap Bakugo on the shoulder but was too late. Bakugo halted their walk before Kirishima could land his hand and glared. Kirishima retreated his hand and laughed at the blonde's expression, "So I'm going to take that as a yes."

"Don't sound so surprised, asshat." Bakugo sneered and began walking again. "Quit sounding so desperate."

Kirishima balked at the blonde and acted hurt, "What? Bakugo isn't going to ask me to go to the dance with him? How rude!"

"Keep that shit up if you want to get killed," Bakugo laced his tone with warning.

Kirishima replied with a pompous grin, "Well I'm sorry to break your heart, Bakugo. I already have a date to the prom."

Bakugo stopped suddenly and cracked his knuckles, "Okay, this is your last warning. Get lost, asswipe."

"You're not curious about my date?" Kirishima pressed just a little bit harder but immediately regretted it. Bakugo began counting to three and the red-head found himself turning on his heel to run toward his office, "Alright, then. See you for patrol, Bakugo!"

"Fucking finally," Bakugo rolled his eyes before continuing toward his own office door. The red-head really didn't know when to give up.

It wasn't until later that afternoon when the two friends were back to their normalcy. Bakugo was still irritable, but he blamed it on the extreme heat of the summer day. He'd managed to put off his thoughts about Uraraka for the time being and focused on the importance of their job patrolling. Unfortunately for Bakugo, Kirishima wasn't going to let him do that.

"Mina visited my apartment last night," Kirishima started up a conversation as they walked down the street in their flashy hero suits. People moved out of their way as they went, but it wasn't unusual. Bakugo was very intimidating while on patrol.

Bakugo felt a surge of annoyance, "That's fucking disgusting, Kirishima. I don't want to hear about you and Mina."

"Shit," Kirishima muffled a laugh, "That's not what I meant, man! Mina and I aren't like that."

Bakugo rolled his eyes, "Like I give a shit if you guys are fucking or not. And no, I don't want to hear whatever gossip you're about to bitch at me."

"You know me too well, dude." Kirishima breathed off the last of his laughter, "But I really think you'll be interested in what I have to say."

"No." Bakugo already knew where this was going and he was practically begging for any criminal to do something stupid so he'd be able to get out of this conversation.

Kirishima shrugged but didn't break his boyband grin, "Well that sucks for you because I'm going to tell you anyway."

Bakugo felt the annoyance in his gut slowly turning to rage, "Quit being such a fucking-"

"Girl?" Kirishima finished for him. "Yeah, I've heard that one a million times by now. Think of something new and original, will you?"

"What," Bakugo scowled at his friend and coworker, "Are you going to hit me with your purse if I don't?"

"There it is!" Kirishima cackled and clapped his hands lightly. "You don't ever miss an opportunity, do you?"

"Tch," Bakugo scoffed through his scowl, "You make it too fucking easy, dipshit."

Kirishima didn't break his smile but dropped his tone to a slightly more serious note, "Seriously though, Mina told me that Uraraka might be thinking about dumping Deku."

Bakugo's palms twitched with unresolved anger, "How many times do I have to fucking tell you? I don't give a shit!"

Kirishima didn't waver as they rounded a corner. Pedestrians eyed them for Bakugo's foul language, but they were used to it by now. "You keep telling yourself that, alright?"

Bakugo sped up their pace a little, "I swear, Kirishima. It's like you want to get your ass kicked today."

"No," Kirishima pried, "You're just moodier than normal. What's going on? Did you run out of happy pills this morning?"

Bakugo cranked his head to glare at Kirishima with clear malice, "What the fuck did you just say?"

"Kidding!" Kirishima hoped it would be enough. "I'm just trying to help you out, dude."

"I don't need your fucking help, Kirishima." Bakugo laced the words with as much animosity as he could collect.

The red-head was unfazed, "I know you don't, but you're my buddy and I thought you'd like to know that Uraraka may be single sooner than you think."

Bakugo couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed Kirishima by his facemask and pulled his head down and forward a few inches, "Damn it, Kirishima. If you don't shut up right now, I'll be happy to take the write-up for this."

Kirishima had reflexively hardened himself before Bakugo could so much as lay a finger on him and he chuckled at the blonde's ferocity. "Alright, man. I'll back off."

Bakugo released his so-called 'friend' and continued to stomp down the street, "I don't want to hear another word about that roundface idiot. I'm not into her and that's the end of it."

Kirishima took the moment between them to straighten up and mumble a retort under his breath, "Yeah, well I'm sure you'll be thanking me later."

They continued their patrol in silence before happening across an alleyway. Both heroes slunk into the shadows inconspicuously and wandered down to the back door of a noodle house. A guy wearing blue jeans and a black sweatshirt with the hood pulled over his head was waiting for them.

"You better have something good for us today," Bakugo grouched as they came to a stop.

The stranger simply held out a hand and smiled in the shadow of his drawn hood.

"Damn it," Bakugo growled as he dug through his costume for his wallet, "The biggest crime in this city is how much I have to pay you for this shit." He pulled out some cash and looked completely irritated as he slammed it into the stranger's hand.

Their third wheel counted the cash silently before slipping it into his back pocket, "I don't have much. Alls I know is that we're gearing up fer somethin'. My boss man has us all keepin' sharp eyes. I s'pect there's somethin' big going down soon. Somethin' with the boss man."

"Your boss?" Kirishima asked with uncertainty.

"Nah," The stranger leaned on the wall of the noodle house, "Not my boss man. The head-honcho. The big boss man. Word on the street is that he's comin' to town. Prolly soon."

"The head of the snake will be here?" Bakugo frowned. "When and where?"

"Dunno," The stranger shrugged half-heartedly. "It's a 'hush-hush' kinda thing. They worried 'bout somethin' though. They got all us little fish scamperin' around like rats. They wantin' us to keep a pretty tight ship, ya know what I mean?"

"Well that's fuckin' useless," Bakugo scowled. "I need to know when and where. I'll double my money if you can get it for me."

The stranger didn't give an indication of his decision, "I gotta get back. See ya." He pulled his hood tighter around his face before retreating back inside the noodle house. "Can't get caught with the likes of you in your glitterin' getups. Clear out quick."

Bakugo gave their informant one final look of intense persuasion, "Find what I need and it'll be a good reward."

"Watch yo backs," The informant shut the door behind him and both heroes were left in the alleyway alone.

"So the head of the snake, huh?" Kirishima raised his eyebrows. "That's really big. We're going to have to report this."

"Not now," Bakugo began stalking back toward the street. "We can't afford to spook them. We don't get many shots like this. We'll see what he has to say next time and then decide if we need to report it."

Kirishima followed as Bakugo ducked back out onto the street, "It may be too late by then."

"It's never too late to catch a kingpin," Bakugo smirked as they continued on their patrol like nothing had happened.

* * *

Uraraka had taken the day off of work. She really needed it. Her emotions were haywire after her conversation with Deku last night. She was so mad! Well, maybe she was sad too. And also a little bit over it.

She had just needed to take a day and recollect herself. She'd initially thought it would be a day that she could take a long bath, watch some soap operas, and eat ice cream. Instead, she'd destroyed her bedroom in a fit of rage, cried into her pillows, and then lay on her living room floor for two hours doing nothing but stare at the spinning ceiling fan. And oh my goodness, it was such a hot day on top of that. She doubted it could be any worse.

She had decided to call Deku after she got home from work yesterday. She'd finally sorted out her thoughts during the work week and she had planned to share those with Deku and find solutions. Instead, he got defensive right away and had insisted that he hadn't done anything but be a caring boyfriend. It was infuriating!

Oh, and did she mention that the first time she tried to call him, he'd hung up on her saying he was too busy to talk? Yeah, that was what sent the entire thing into a frenzied tailspin from the get-go.

They had argued for a long time before she simply ran out of energy and hung up. She's ignored every phone call since, citing her anger as a valid excuse. How could he think he'd done nothing wrong? Was he really that blind? He's suffocating her!

It didn't help that everything in her apartment was shared with him. In fact, half of his clothes were still hanging in her closet. Well, not anymore at least. She'd thrown them all onto the floor during her ragefest earlier today. But they'd bought all their furniture together, their dishes, their sheets, and even their tv. Well, the tv was actually his.

All day she'd gone back and forth between her two options. She could either keep trying and hopefully work things out with him, or she could call it a day and begin the arduous process of splitting their lives and things in half. How would she even begin to do that without him close enough to try either option?

All in all, her day was exhausting. She had hoped to recuperate, but she had only gotten worse. Perhaps going to work would have been better for her. Honestly, she didn't really know anymore.

As she looked at the mess she'd made, she realized how out of control she was. She'd never acted like this a day in her life. It made her feel like a spoiled child that had a severe temper tantrum. Her apartment, especially her bedroom, was a disaster that she now had to clean up. But it was hot and she was tired. Perhaps she'd get to it tomorrow.

She kicked Deku's clothes out of her way before she slumped face first onto the bed and breathed hotly into the duvet. "This sucks!" She groaned the words into the mattress. She scoot herself up to the top of the bed and bitterly blew the bangs away from her face as she stared up at the ceiling of her bedroom.

Was this what heartbreak feels like?

Her phone buzzed on the bedside table. She hadn't touched it all day in an attempt to avoid Deku's calls but now she was either too tired to care or too curious to stay away. She grabbed it and took in the notifications.

Five missed calls from Deku. Yeah, she was just going to ignore those.

A few facebook notifications. She'd check those later.

One new text message from Bakugo. Oh great, what on earth could this be about?

She unlocked the phone and viewed the message.

" _Skipping out on work, roundface? For someone who wants to be on top again you really don't seem to give a shit."_

She couldn't stop the laughter from bubbling in her chest. She was certainly not expecting this. It was so Bakugo but also it was so far from him. She supposed that he just couldn't wait until the next day to give her grief about this, could he? She giggled for a few more minutes before typing out a response.

" _Like you'd even care."_

She apprehensively waited for his response. The typing icon appeared just as quickly as it disappeared and a new text popped up.

" _True. Delete my number."_

Another fit of laughter rocked her where she sat on her bedspread. That was certainly more like him.

" _No. You delete mine. I don't need your negativity in my life."_

She giggled haughtily at her smart response. However, not even a minute passed before she got a response.

" _Done."_

This time it wasn't quite so funny. She forced a laugh, but it died in her throat. Was he serious? She hoped not. This was the best few minutes she'd had all day. In fact, she almost preferred to continue their text conversation. She debated a response for a while, but settled with setting her phone back down again. She was sure that Bakugo would be disgusted if he found out that he'd lifted her spirits.

For the first time all day, she was feeling refreshed. It didn't come to her attention that those few text messages had done all the recuperation she'd needed. She'd set her phone down and gotten straight to work cleaning up. She'd even felt the urge to put on music that wasn't depressing as she did so. It was a good feeling.

In fact, this feeling felt a lot like she was letting go.

* * *

 **KYAAA! Hey guys! I know it's been super long but I've been so busy! I had a crazy time in Vegas and now I'm being swamped with trying to get everything else done lol. I fly home on Sunday night, so everything should be back to normal by Monday :D Thanks for your patience!**

 **Clarissa Kirishima: I decided against doing a Uraraka POV so soon, but I'm thinking I'll do it for the next chapter :D Thanks for your review!**

 **sevas007: I love that you're so stoked about my take on Mitsuki! I'll definitely try to get more of her in the story soon :D Thanks for your review!**

 **MelodySincerelySong: Aww thank you for your super nice review! I am stoked that you like my take on Bakugo :D Hopefully, this chapter is just as good :D**

 **TheVincenzio: Congrats of passing your exam! I'm so thrilled for you! I'm glad you like my take on Bakugo and I'll try to keep it up! Thanks for your review!**

 **Kreshi: Hello! I'm so glad you like this so far! As you can see, I try to keep a convo with my reviewers so thank you so much for the review! I hope you like this chapter!**

 **PenroseQuinn: I've said it once and I'll say it again; you're too sweet and cute! Thank you for your review! I always try to listen to what my reviews want and I got a lot of feedback on Mitsuki, so hopefully I can get more mother/son banter in soon!**

 **WiOvlx: I'm so glad you're liking this so far and my goal by the end of this is to make you a kacchako fan like me xD I'm thrilled by your reviews and I hope I will keep your interest! Thank you for reading and I hope you like this chapter!**

 **Oh man, there were a lot of reviews last chapter! I tried to shorten my replies a little bit so I don't take up a ton of space. Sorry for that!**

 **As always, I will try very hard to get something out to you soon! I have some time tomorrow but I can't guarantee a chapter right now. At the very latest, I'll have something for you by Monday. Thank you all! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **XOXO**


	11. Chapter 11

It had been another pointless patrol and Uraraka was feeling disappointed as she came up on the agency. She'd taken extra time today to walk her routes in hopes of catching a villain in the act but her efforts had not paid off. Now she had an afternoon of paperwork and training to look forward to, but at least there would be air conditioning inside.

She pulled open the door to the agency and walked in. It was a busier than usual day with Edgeshot's party only a few hours away, but she didn't miss seeing Kirishima and Bakugo making their way through the lobby and toward the door.

"Hey!" She smiled and waved at the pair.

Both male heroes turned to see her but Kirishima was the first to speak up, "Hey Uraraka!" He directed the blonde toward her and met her by the door. "How was patrol?"

"Hot," She admitted and pulled on her costume a bit to let cool air creep in. "Are you guys heading out now?"

"Sure am!" Kirishima looked over at his scowling patrol partner. "Bakugo here hasn't blown anything up in a while, so hopefully we'll find someone doing something that they aren't supposed to be doing."

Uraraka giggled lightly, "Well I haven't had any luck either. For such a big city, you'd think that it would be crawling with villains."

"It usually is," Kirishima shrugged. "I guess that there is cause to be concerned, though. It's not like we've caught every villain there is to catch, right?"

"Like hell," Bakugo grit his teeth beside Kirishima. "These fucksticks need to grow a pair and show their faces. I don't like waiting around."

Uraraka giggled again, "Well whatever they're up to, we'll be there to stop them when it happens, right?"

"Tch," Bakugo rolled his eyes, "They better hurry the hell up."

Kirishima decided to steer the conversation in a different direction, "So are you going to be at the party tonight?"

"Of course!" Uraraka smiled sweetly at the pair. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Bakugo eyed her through his frown. A few emotions passed through him as he did so and he wasn't sure what to make of them. He hadn't really considered her presence at the party.

"Cool," Kirishima smiled boyishly, "Bakugo and I are going to be there too. It's going to be awesome to see all the top ranking pros in one room, eh?"

"I know!" Uraraka beamed excitedly, "I just hope I can make a good impression."

"I'm sure you'll be great," Kirishima ruffled her hair lightly before dragging the blonde away. "We have to go do our jobs so we'll see you tonight, right?"

"Sure will!" Uraraka waved as they walked away. After they exited the building, she was amused as she watched Kirishima tease Bakugo about something and the blonde scowl fiercely in response. She didn't doubt that Bakugo had threatened Kirishima because the red-head waved his hands apologetically. They disappeared from the view of the windows and Uraraka turned toward the elevator.

She had a lot to catch up on because of her absence the day before and she was not excited at the prospect of doing it. When she finally entered her office, a stack of paperwork was sitting on her desk and she sighed as she plopped into her spinning desk chair. She stared at the paperwork for a while before looking over at her plants that sat around her office. Perhaps she would water those before she got started.

Over the course of the afternoon, Uraraka took every opportunity to distract herself from the pile of work she had to do. She figured she'd have to take some home with her, but at least she'd have the entire weekend to get it done.

It wasn't until it was nearly time to go home that her phone chimed with a message from Mina.

" _I'll be at your place around 6. We're going to look smoking hot tonight!"_

Uraraka couldn't help but grin at her friend before texting back a confirmation. Now that the day was drawing near to a close, she was starting to feel excited about this party. Maybe this would be the exact pick-me-up she needed to begin dealing with her Deku situation.

She hustled her way through a few more sheets before she gathered her things and made her way down to the locker room. She planned on skipping her gym routine today so that she wouldn't struggle wearing heels tonight. She peeled herself out of her costume and took advantage of the empty locker room to give herself a lookover in the floor length mirrors.

She turned herself from side to side and examined her figure. Her arms and legs were toned with just enough muscle, but her stomach area was still cushioned. She ran her hands over the small pudge and sighed dejectedly. She'd been working for months to try and rid herself of it, but it was stubborn.

Her curves weren't bad, but she still couldn't shake the feeling that they only made her feel shorter. Her butt was one of the few features about herself that she took great pride in. It was round, smooth and toned. It worked for her and she liked it.

She adjusted her bra strap and bit her lip as she pondered how she'd dress for the night. She wanted to look professional, but she didn't want her small stature to come off as childish. However, she also wanted to look good. She was a grown woman now and she wanted to celebrate that.

She rarely had any opportunities to dress up before moving to Tokyo so this was an especially important event for her. She wondered if she had anything in her closet that would give her the wow factor she desired.

The door to the locker room opened and some of the evening shift heroes were wandering in to begin their day. Uraraka hurried to dress herself and stuffed her duffle bag messily. She texted Mina that she was on her way home and hustled out of the locker room.

The walk home was brisk and Uraraka found herself back at her apartment twenty minutes earlier than normal. She dumped her bag on the couch and immediately set to work on getting ready for the night.

She spent an ample amount of time in the shower to shave and shampoo before she toweled herself dry and threw on a tanktop and shorts. She combed through her tangled wet hair as she pulled three dresses from her closet and lay them on her bed. They were dresses she'd had since she graduated from high school. They were all pastel colors with modest necklines and long skirts. At least one of these would work for her.

She was halfway through blow drying her hair when Mina showed up. The pink girl was toting a rolling suitcase and an armful of garment bags as she plowed through the door, going beeline for the bedroom. "Lugging this much shit around in the heat is exhausting!"

"What is all this stuff?" Uraraka laughed with a confused note as she followed her friend to the back of the apartment.

"This?" Mina dropped the bags on the bedspread and parked her suitcase. "This is what you call Plan B."

Uraraka furrowed her eyebrows but held her uneasy smile. "Plan B? Plan B for what?"

Mina threw her a look that said " _Are you serious?"_ and she circled the bed to examine the three dresses that Uraraka had laid out. "Hmm…" She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Yeah, I'm really glad I planned ahead." She leaned into one baby blue dress to view it closely. "Uraraka… Honey… Is that a soy sauce stain?"

"I thought I'd gotten that out," Uraraka rushed over to look at the dress. She picked it up and looked at the stain. Yeah, it was definitely still there. "Well that's just my luck. Well, on the brightside, I've narrowed it down to two dresses."

Mina stared at the brunette beside her for another moment before she paraded over to her garment bags. "You're crazy if you think I'll let you wear one of those awful things tonight." She hastily unzipped one of her bags and pulled out a dress. "You're in your twenties now, Uraraka. You should dress like you are."

The brunette watched helplessly as Mina held up a stark red dress. It looked tight. Very tight. "That seems a little…" She wasn't sure what word she was looking for.

Mina turned from Uraraka to look at the dress. She held it out in front of her to invision it on the brunette. "Yeah, I agree. This one is a little too trampy for a company party."

Uraraka laughed lightly and turned her attention back to her own two dresses. "That's alright, one of these will work fine."

"No way," Mina dropped the red dress and ran over to the two pastel dresses displayed on the bed. "You should burn these," She scooped them up, tossed them on the floor, and kicked them under Uraraka's bed. "Just forget that those exist for a few minutes, okay?"

Uraraka looked concerned as she allowed Mina to pop open a few more garment bags. They were all a little too Mina for Uraraka's taste. She found herself shaking her head at every one.

"Fine!" Mina groaned and reached for the final garment bag. "This one is my plan C." She unzipped the bag and pulled the final dress out. "I knew for sure that you'd like this one."

The dress was black. It had a flouncing circle skirt that didn't seem too long or too short. It was a sleeveless dress with a safe but somewhat deep neckline. The back was partially backless. Lace hid the zipper on the top half, but past the shoulder blades it was bare all the way to the skirt. It was feminine and flirty, but also professional.

"Oh wow," Uraraka breathed and padded toward the dress to feel it's fabric. "It's very soft too."

Mina chuckled, "Yeah, I saved this one for last but I had a good reason. I was hoping you'd go with one of the others first."

"This one is perfect," Uraraka took the dress and laid it down on the bed to admire it further.

Mina shrugged, "Thank Momo for it. She helped me pick out all of these."

"I will," Uraraka smiled and fingered the skirt of the dress. "It's beautiful!"

Mina checked the time, "Well we can't stand around all night and talk about it. We've got a lot of work to do and not enough time to do it." Mina grabbed her suitcase off the floor and threw it open on the bed. Shoes, makeup, and hair supplies nearly exploded out of it as she began picking through it. "Go dry the rest of your hair while I get this stuff in order. I'll meet you in there."

Uraraka nodded and sprinted back to her bathroom. She eyed the dress one last time before disappearing. Once she was done with the task she was given, Mina had proceeded to softly curl her brown locks and set to work on Uraraka's makeup.

"How are things?" Mina asked pointedly as she brushed a gentle layer of blush over Uraraka's cheeks.

Uraraka looked at Mina from where she sat on the bathroom counter. "They're good I guess. Work is slow as usual."

"Same here," Mina shrugged and snatched a pallet of eyeshadow from her makeup bag. She signalled for Uraraka to close her eyes before she spoke again, "Have you talked to Deku at all?"

Uraraka frowned and sighed a little, "Not really. It's been… tense."

Mina paused her brush strokes to blink at the oblivious brunette before continuing, "Talk to me, girl."

The brunette shrugged but held her head still so Mina wouldn't mess up the eye shadow. "I don't know what to say, really. He insists that he wants us to stay together, but he doesn't act like it. He doesn't think he's done anything wrong."

"Well," Mina blended in a lighter color, "Are you sure that he has?"

Uraraka paused to think, "I'm not sure. I guess not… But he still won't listen to me. I just want him to recognize me for how strong I am, you know? I don't know… I'm starting to realize that he sees me as weak. Like I need to be protected."

Mina nodded in understanding although she knew that the brunette couldn't see it. She brushed the makeup on silently for a few minutes before she asked a question that, for once, she didn't know the answer to. "Uraraka. Are you happy?" She pulled the brush away from Uraraka's face.

The brunette blinked open her eyes and looked at her friend in front of her. It was a question that she wasn't expecting and she bit her lip as she thought it over. "I…" She started and stopped. "I don't know."

Mina smiled sadly at her friend and set the makeup down on the countertop. "Listen sweetie," She took Uraraka's hands, "I don't know much about love but I know that whatever you have with Deku is special." She paused to find the right words, "But if you're not happy anymore, then don't force yourself to love him."

Uraraka listened to the words, but wasn't sure what to think about them. "Do you think I'm unhappy with Deku?"

"No," Mina shook her head, "I wouldn't try to put those words in your mouth. You guys have been together for a long time and you've sacrificed a lot for him. I could understand that it would be a lot for your to give up. But as your friend, I want you to be happy. Really happy. If Deku isn't doing that for you, then…" She trailed off.

Uraraka swallowed a lump in her throat. "I thought you loved Deku and I."

"I do!" Mina corrected herself. "I have always thought you guys were perfect together. I mean, I've always been kind of jealous of what you guys have. But on the other hand, I've never seen you be this upset before. It just makes me wonder, you know?"

Uraraka decided against responding this time. Both girls fell silent as Mina went back to working on Uraraka's makeup. They suddenly had a lot to think about.

Mina wondered if Kirishima might be right. She needed to be a friend to Uraraka more than an influence, so she had decided to ask Uraraka about her happiness. She wanted to be there for Uraraka no matter her decision, but it was hard because she was also Deku's friend. She couldn't pick a side anymore. She had to be neutral now.

But it also put another thing into perspective for the pink girl. She hadn't really considered her own happiness lately. She'd been working hard during the week and partying hard on the weekends. It was an exhausting lifestyle, despite how fun it may appear. Perhaps finding someone to cuddle up to at night wasn't that bad of a concept.

However, Uraraka was shaken. She was thankful that Mina was preoccupied because she sincerely didn't want to let on the battle in her heart. Was she happy? How could she not know? It was such a pivotal part of her life yet she was at a loss for words.

Deku is a wonderful guy. He is caring, helpful, kind, and overly friendly. He's stronger than most and is willing to go the extra mile for a stranger. He's smart and always looking for a way to brighten everyone's day. Was she just another customer to him?

Maybe she was just another victim needing saving in his eyes.

"Alright," Mina piped up with a cheery tone. "Open up!"

Uraraka blinked open her eyes and looked into the bathroom mirror. Her brown eyes shone with a dark to light pallet of eyeshadow on her lids. Her eyeliner was thin and slightly winged while her face was lightly powdered with blush. "Wow. This looks amazing!"

"What did I tell you," Mina twirled a makeup brush expertly in her hand. "I know my way around an eyeshadow pallet." She smiled cheekily.

"Thank you!" Uraraka hugged her friend before standing up. "I love this."

Mina shoved her playfully out of the bathroom, "I know, I'm great. Now hurry up and get dressed. We have to leave soon."

Uraraka giggled and wandered back into her bedroom. She scanned over the black dress for another minute before lifting it. It really was beautiful. At this point, she was glad that Mina had kicked her dresses under the bed. Clearly, that is where they belong.

She dropped it back on the duvet and wandered over to her closet to find undergarments that she could wear with the dress. It was backless and required a special bra, but thankfully she had one.

Just as she had skipped back over to put the dress on, Mina emerged from the bathroom. The pink girl had finished her own hair and makeup and she smiled as Uraraka slid the dress on. "That looks even better on. Ugh, you need to see it in the mirror."

Uraraka smiled excitedly and viewed herself in the floor length mirror she had in the corner of her bedroom. The dress cinched at her waist and was snug around her shoulders. The circle skirt swayed flirtatiously around her and stopped right above her knees. She twirled around to see it from the back and admired how well it sculpted her.

"Work it," Mina teased and came up beside her. "You look amazing in that."

Uraraka beamed at her reflection, "Thank you so much for letting me borrow this."

"Pfft," Mina waved her hand and shook her head, "It looks a hundred times better on you. You've ruined that dress for me. I guess you'll just have to keep it."

"Keep it?" Uraraka gaped. "No, I couldn't. It's yours!"

Mina grabbed Uraraka by the shoulders and slightly shook her, "Trust me, you need it more than I do. Just say thank you."

Uraraka wriggled out of her friend's grip and giggled, "Alright, thank you Mina."

"You are so welcome," Mina rolled her eyes playfully and went to put on her own dress. It was deep purple and hugged her in all the right places. Uraraka often admired how fit Mina was and the fact that she retained her femininity so well.

"You look amazing too!" Uraraka cooed at her friend's outfit. "A total ten."

"I better be," Mina flipped her hair away from her eyes and struck a sexy pose. "This thing cost me a whole paycheck. I'm just glad I finally have a valid excuse to wear it."

"It looks great." Uraraka nodded her head enthusiastically as she realized the cost that her pink friend had named.

Mina didn't miss a beat as she scrambled for her suitcase, "Shoes. We need glamorous shoes otherwise we might as well be wearing garbage bags."

Uraraka opened her mouth to speak but didn't have time before a pair of shoes came hurtling toward her. "Whaa-" She caught one while the other tumbled to the floor.

"Those will be perfect for you." Mina grabbed another set from the suitcase. "We don't have a lot of time left so hurry!"

Uraraka blinked at the shoe in her hand. It was a wedge heel. It was bright white with aztec designs punched out of the leather down the front. It had a slight peep toe and a buckle where it went around her heel. Yes, they were very cute shoes.

Uraraka squealed with excitement as she went to work putting them on. "These are so cute!"

"I never should have been a hero," Mina sighed wistfully as she slid into her pumps, "I should have been a fashion designer."

"You definitely have taste," Uraraka smiled sheepishly as she stood up, donning her new shoes and dress. "What do you think?"

"You look hot," Mina smiled knowingly. "Smokin' hot."

Uraraka blushed and twirled in her dress, "I feel like it."

Mina stood up on her own shoes and dug her purse out of the mess on the bed, "Do you need a clutch bag? I brought you one."

The brunette paused and walked over to her closet, "I actually have one that will work." She rummaged through her things for a moment before pulling out a small white clutch with a black "U" embroidered on the front.

"Alright," Mina planted her hands on her hips. "We're just about ready."

Uraraka hurried to exchange her wallet's contents into her clutch and smiled happily. "Then let's go."

* * *

The party was extravagantly decorated. Edgeshot had rented out the ballroom at a high end hotel in downtown Tokyo and it looked marvelous at first look. Glass chandeliers dotted the room and elegant decorations commemorating Edgeshot's success were thoughtfully placed. Beautiful banners and tablecloths bearing the colors and emblem of the agency were made with rich cloth and smart looking waitstaff handed out glasses of expensive champagne.

However, Bakugo didn't notice the grandeur of the party's display. He preferred to lean on a wall and sip from his glass as he scanned the crowd. Many of his coworkers were spilling into the hall now but he ignored them in favor of seeking out the highest ranking heroes. Tonight he planned on making the best impression possible.

One person he simply could not overlook was a red-head. Kirishima entered the ballroom with hair that he had tamed into a slicked back look. It was so unusual that Bakugo had to look twice.

The red-head approached with gusto and a goofy smile. He expertly snatched a vial of champagne as he approached the blonde, "Prince Bakugo. Might I say, you look ravishing tonight."

"I'll kill you," Bakugo warned and leaned harder on the wall.

Kirishima didn't break his boyish grin, "Seriously man. You clean up nice." The red-headed hero adjusted Bakugo's expensive lapel teasingly.

"Somehow I knew you'd wear a cheap suit," Bakugo spat and looked over Kirishima's attire for the night.

Kirishima feigned anguish, "Cheap? This my friend is a quality knockoff. You wouldn't be able to spot the difference from the real thing." He placed a hand over his chest.

Bakugo didn't miss a beat and reached behind his friend to yank the tag off the back of the red-head's jacket, "Dumbass." He dangled the tag in front of Kirishima. "You only spent two hundred bucks on that thing?"

"I was in a rush," Kirishima snatched the tag away and stuffed it into his pocket. "I'll take what I can get. Not everybody has a tailor on call like you do."

"For fuck sake, Kirishima." Bakugo let his hand fall as he rolled his eyes. "Learn to plan ahead."

Kirishima took a drink from his glass to shield his embarrassment and mirrored Bakugo's position on the wall. "You're doing your normal loner thing, huh?

"Fuck off," Bakugo frowned as he went back to scanning the crowd. No high ranking pros had shown up yet and he was regretting his effort to show up early.

"I'll take that as a yes." Kirishima smirked at the blonde.

Bakugo was considering walking away so he would no longer be bothered but experience told him that Kirishima would just follow. "Where's your date?"

Kirishima smirked much larger now, "Oh? So you do care about me."

"Fucking nevermind," Bakugo growled and took an ungratifying drink from his glass.

"She'll be here soon," Kirishima whipped out his phone to check the time. "Any moment actually."

Bakugo really didn't care about Kirishima's date, he just wanted to be left alone. He had goals to achieve tonight and Kirishima would only serve as a distraction. The blonde turned his attention away from the door to watch Edgeshot greeting the guests that approached him. It was a huge deal when a top ten hero moved up a rank and this party seemed to fit the bill.

"Ah, there she is." Kirishima recaptured Bakugo's attention.

Bakugo turned to look at the door and was completely unsurprised to see alien chick standing there. He really should have guessed it.

"Damn, she looks good." Kirishima downed the rest of his champagne before waving her down.

Bakugo rolled his eyes and was about to walk away when Uraraka appeared from behind the pink and purple horror show that was Kirishima's date. He froze up as he looked at her. It was like Uraraka had transformed into someone he had never met before.

How had he not noticed her like this before? Her legs looked long under the skirt and her dress was doing her figure enormous favors. Her hair was different, curling over the tops of her shoulders easily and her bangs had been straightened over her forehead. She stood out from the crowd at the door and his heart slowed as her eyes turned toward him.

Kirishima ended his wave and whistled lowly, "Woah, I almost didn't recognize Uraraka."

Bakugo didn't even hear his friend as he watched the two women approach them. Mina sauntered up with a coy grin and Uraraka followed with a nervous smile. "Hey boys," Mina fluttered her eyelashes at Kirishima.

"You ladies are looking ravishing," Kirishima puckered the final word with a funny accent.

Mina flipped her hair, "Well, that was the goal."

Uraraka nodded her thanks and smiled a little more confidently before turning it toward the blonde. "Hey Bakugo."

Bakugo simply stared at her from his perch on the wall as if he hadn't heard her.

"Dude," Kirishima elbowed him roughly, "Are you going to act like a douchebag all night?"

Bakugo was shaken from his thoughts and he hurriedly took a sip of his drink to clear his dry throat. "Fuck off, dipshit." He broke his cold gaze away from Uraraka to glare at Kirishima.

Uraraka laughed awkwardly while Mina began to fuss over Kirishima's slicked back hairdo. She broke her gaze from Bakugo's face for a moment to watch, unaware of Bakugo's glances her way.

"Well you two have fun," Kirishima hooked his arm around Mina's waist. "I have to get this lady a drink before the big cajones get here."

Mina slapped him on the chest playfully, "At least you're trying to be a gentleman about it. Speaking of, where are the top heroes anyway?"

Kirishima seemed to weigh the question in his head as they walked away, leaving Bakugo and Uraraka to their own devices.

The brunette cleared her throat awkwardly and she shifted her weight on her heels, "So this is a pretty fancy party, huh?"

"Didn't notice," Bakugo turned his attention away from her and back onto the party goers.

"You look nice," Uraraka tested the compliment as she observed his black suit.

Bakugo could feel the stiff tension between them, "Of course I do. The top heroes will be here so dressing down wasn't exactly an option."

Uraraka gave a small half-smile and wanted to roll her eyes, "You could just say thank you."

"For telling me something I already know?" Bakugo turned his head to scowl at her.

She cracked a slightly bigger smile, "You never fail to bolster your own ego, do you?"

"Tch," Bakugo ignored the comment and downed the remainder of his champagne. He broke his gaze from her and stood up completely to search for a member of the waitstaff. He rudely called one over and exchanged his empty glass for two full ones. After he'd shooed them away, he turned back toward her.

She raised an eyebrow at him and shook her head, "You know that they work for tips, right?"

"Shut up and take your drink," He frowned and offered the second glass to her.

She accepted it but her sardonic facial expression didn't waiver, "Oh, aren't you just the gentleman…"

He was miffed by her comment. He was well versed in the arts of fancy party behavior but did he really have to behave that way among his peers that knew him? "Fine. Get your own drink next time."

She didn't have to look up at him quite as severely, thanks to her heels, but she still tossed him an unimpressed look. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised."

"You could just say thank you," He shot back, referencing her earlier remark.

She frowned but gathered up her pride, "Thank you." It sounded sincere, but he knew better.

He didn't scowl back as usual but instead turned his attention back toward the door. He noticed that Uraraka had shifted to his side and followed his gaze.

"What are you looking at?" She asked and watched the people pouring in.

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes at her stupid question, "What the fuck do you think I'm doing? I'm watching for rank ten heroes."

"Have any shown up yet?" She asked and glanced around the room.

"Just Edgeshot," Bakugo replied curtly.

She skewered her mouth thoughtfully, "Hopefully they show up soon. I don't want to be out too late tonight."

Bakugo didn't bother to reply. It's not like he cared if she stayed or went, right?

Uraraka wasn't sure if Bakugo had realized how long their silence had drawn out after her last comment. It got to the point of being awkward, so she sipped her champagne lightly before leaning away, "I'm going to go see who else is here or something."

"Have fun," Bakugo promptly disinvited himself and he didn't break his eyes from the door.

She scoffed at him as she moved to walk away, "Maybe I will. In fact, I'm sure I'll have more fun than you." She finally departed and strutted away, her heels clacking quietly as she did.

He glanced at her retreating form and was shocked at what he found. The dress was backless with the exception of lace from her shoulders to her shoulder blades. Her pale skin looked flawless and smooth on her back and it looked delightful as her hips swayed away from him.

He had to clear his throat before tearing his eyes away. If he continued, people who saw might assume he was staring at her ass and he was not going to open himself up to that kind of criticism.

The party drawled on for a while and Bakugo was pleased with himself for having successfully introduced himself to the majority of the high ranking pros. They were all so regal and successful that Bakugo was glad to have the kind of training that his mother had given him. It really gave him a leg up over his competition and he was certain he'd be remembered by the top heroes.

It was later into the evening when Edgeshot finally gave a toast in his own honor. He thanked all of his employees and his high ranking peers at the event for his success. It was a very elegant toast and many of the party's attendees had laughed at his jokes and clapped at his encouragements.

After the final toast, many of the high ranking pros congratulated the now third ranking hero before departing from the event. Bakugo wasn't surprised to see them arrive so late and leave so early. They were busy people with busy schedules and their own agencies that required their undivided attention. It was refreshing to see the fruits of what his goals would provide. Limited social interaction and the highest respect a hero could earn.

It wasn't long before the major heroes were cleared of the hall with the exception of Kamui Woods. Bakugo had walked over to the open bar when he spotted the seventh rank hero talking to Uraraka. She seemed to be laughing at something he said and their conversation appeared to be going well. He figured it was good for her to get some exposure but he didn't take his eyes off of them.

"What can I get for you, sir?" The bartender finally got to him after a few minutes of waiting.

He blinked away from the two he was watching and turned toward the bartender. "Whiskey. Neat." He glanced back at the pair, "And some of your girliest wine."

The bartender looked taken aback, "Uh… Well we do have a nice chardonnay-" He was cut off before he could finish his list.

"That." Bakugo didn't bother looking back. "And make it snappy, would you?"

The bartender looked shocked for a moment before he turned back toward the bar. Bakugo didn't bother to hurry the bartender any more than that. He didn't want any of the cheap stuff and he knew his attitude often led to that.

"Here you go," The drinks were placed atop the bar and the man working it looked expectantly for a nice tip.

Bakugo snatched the drinks and shrugged, "Didn't bring any cash." He didn't look back as he sauntered away.

He arrived beside Uraraka just as Kamui Woods was commenting on her years at UA. He stopped beside her and nodded his head at the seventh rank pro.

"If it isn't Ground Zero again," The plant manipulating hero nodded a greeting in reply. "I feel like I just saw you."

Bakugo had to desperately stamp down the urge to say something snarky, "I'm just making my rounds again before everyone heads out for the night."

Kamui nodded in reply, "It is not often that we pros get together like this. It really is something we should do far more often. Uravity and I were just talking about your match as first years. I still remember the tenacity of you both. It's strange to see you as adults now."

"It's strange for us too," Uraraka smiled pleasantly. "Wow… That feels like ages ago, doesn't it Bakugo?"

The blonde clenched his hand tightly around his whisky and swallowed up his bad attitude, "It certainly does. It was a match I will never live down."

She blinked at him in surprise. His politeness was off putting and it seemed like he was someone else entirely.

"That is certainly the truth." Kamui Woods slipped his hands into the pockets of his slacks. "I must say, it is inspiring to see you both working together under Edgeshot. Perhaps the next big party will be for one of you."

"I hope so!" Uraraka giggled happily at the compliment.

Bakugo knew he was intruding, but he turned toward Uraraka gruffly, "I got you a drink," He held out the glass of wine elegantly.

Her eyebrows rose in surprise, "Thanks," She whispered and took the glass from his hands. "That was very nice of you."

"I couldn't come over here empty handed, could I?" He was really struggling to maintain his fancy party facade.

Kamui watched as she smiled gratefully and sipped her wine. He was bemused at their youthful niceties. He sympathized with the explosion hero though. He recalled when he was their age and he'd had to woo Mt. Lady in the same way. "It sure is getting late. I really must get going."

Uraraka swallowed her sip and smiled, "It really was a pleasure to meet you."

Kamui offered her his hand and he kissed the top of hers as she took it, "The pleasure is all mine, Uravity." He stood upright and turned to shake Bakugo's hand, "And it's always a pleasure to see you as well, Ground Zero. If you keep working as hard as you do, I'm sure you and I will have competition sooner than we think."

Bakugo nodded gruffly as they watched the pro hero depart and head for the door. The party had dimmed down to just the lower ranking pros and their coworkers now, so he was relieved to know that he could finally take the stick out of his ass.

"Thank you for the drink," Uraraka held up the glass of white wine, "Again."

Bakugo rolled his eyes, "Yeah, whatever. Don't fucking mention it."

"Should we find Mina and Kirishima?" She asked lightly and glanced around the room.

"Fuck no," Bakugo replied and dreaded the thought of seeing those two idiots right now. At this moment, he was content to have Uraraka all to himself.

* * *

 **I'm back! Hello everyone :D My trip was great but I am so glad to be home now. Updates should go back to normal now and I was thrilled to be able to park my butt on my couch and write.**

 **Before you all give me a hard time, let me tell you that this is part one of the party. The next chapter will also include the party.**

 **Kreshi: Thank you for your review and I'm so glad you like this so far. Now you won't have to wait so long to get an update xD**

 **sevas007: I do ship Mina and Kirishima but in a side character way. It is a kacchako fic after all xD Thank you for your review and I hope you like this chapter!**

 **BriiLeigh97: Yay! Another newcomer :D Thank you so much for your super nice review! I am really excited that you like my story so far and I promise I will keep working hard to give you what you want. :)**

 **Clarissa Kirishima: You see right through me, don't you? xD I can promise you that I am going to be turning the cute factor up soon and I'm super excited. Fluff is coming :D Thanks for the review!**

 **Penrose Quinn: Thank you for your all your amazing reviews and I'm so happy you are excited about this company party idea lol I honestly thought it was kinda dumb and convenient but OH WELL, it is fanfiction xD**

 **I'll get right back to writing when I get home tomorrow. I had to work late tonight and I will probably have to stay late for the rest of the week to catch up but I'll make sure I work hard for you all. Thanks for your reviews and I hope you like this chapter :D I'll see you all very soon!**

 **XOXO**


	12. Chapter 12

The party took on a different note as the night aged. After all the important people had gone, Edgeshot had encouraged his employees to have fun. They did deserve it after all. The music had changed from classical to a modern beat and the ballroom took on new life with more drinks being accepted from the waitstaff and some even decided to dance.

Uraraka found herself struggling to make conversation with the hard-headed blonde that she had found herself with. They had moved to stand at one of the cocktail tables and she had been obliged to receive a second glass of wine.

"So," She asked with a light tone, "Are you doing anything fun this weekend?"

Bakugo tossed her an annoyed glance, "You tend to ask me that a lot, roundface."

"Ugh," She rolled her eyes, "We're back to nicknames, huh?"

"We never left," He replied sourly.

She took a long drink of the wine in her hand and savored it's buttery flavor, "So are you going to answer the question or are we going to keep standing here in silence?"

Bakugo smirked to himself at her forward candor. She'd had some champagne and was on her second glass of wine now. It explained her new attitude. "The fuck do you want me to say? I'm not going to be braiding anybody's hair over gossip if that's what you're asking."

She stifled a laugh into her glass, "I don't know," She felt a surge of bravery, "Kirishima does say he loves girls night."

Bakugo stiffened with irritation, "Don't go thinking that you're clever, roundface. You're not funny at all."

"Well it seemed to work," She leaned her elbows on the cocktail table and clutched her glass with both hands. "I do have a question, though."

Bakugo knew he'd regret what he said next, "What the fuck is it then?"

She smiled sweetly, "Have you always been able to act so polite? You were quite the gentleman around Kamui."

Bakugo wanted to slap himself for his stupidity. He never should have brought her that drink while she was talking to that stick figure. Now she had something to pester him about. "I don't do polite, roundface. It's called being professional."

She scoffed and leaned off the table to take a drink from her glass, "Call it whatever you want, but I say you were being very polite. You should act like that more often."

"And have a stick up my ass all the time? No thanks," Bakugo's expression held the same bitterness as his tone.

She giggled teasingly as she looked at him with bright eyes, "Psh, you practically invented being a tightwad."

Bakugo was floored by her honesty and was also a little surprised by her wittiness, "What the fuck are you trying to say, roundface?"

She placed her glass on the table and planted her hands on her hips, "I'm just saying you should try being more polite."

"To who?" Bakugo fired back. "As far as I'm concerned, I'm only polite to the people I respect."

She rolled her eyes, "To me, silly. To everyone. Don't we all have your respect too?"

"Tch," Bakugo scowled, "Lower rank heroes don't deserve my respect."

The blonde's words stung her. It felt like she'd been backhanded, but she didn't get the opportunity to express her hurt before Kirishima walked up to them. His shirt was half-untucked and his blazer was missing.

"Whee-oooh," He huffed tiredly as he stopped at their table. "Whenever I need a good workout, I'll just go to Mina's for a dance-off. That girl has stamina!" He breathed heavily and nodded his head toward the pink girl dancing with a group of their coworkers.

"You look like shit," Bakugo announced as he observed the red-head before him.

Kirishima shrugged and waived down a waitress, "If you're so tough, why don't you go out there and try it yourself?"

"I'd rather die," Bakugo retorted coldly.

"Uhm," Uraraka cleared her throat and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "I'm going to get some air."

Kirishima blinked at her disposition and nodded, "Alright. Want me to tell Mina?"

She shook her head, "I'll only be a minute." She took the opportunity to walk away hurriedly and Kirishima watched as she headed toward the balcony.

"What was that about?" He turned his attention to the blonde beside him.

Bakugo swirled the cup of whiskey in his palm, "Fuck if I know."

Kirishima ordered a whiskey for himself as the waitress finally arrived and returned his questioning gaze back toward his friend. "What were you guys talking about?"

"She was trying to give me shit," Bakugo frowned, "But of course she didn't win."

Kirishima looked unamused, "So you made fun of her."

"Why the fuck would you think that?" Bakugo glowered at his red-headed friend.

Kirishima gave a massive shrug, "Probably because you always resort to going too far when people make fun of you."

"Says the guy that looks like he's crashing the fucking party." Bakugo downed the rest of his whiskey and savored the burn in his throat.

Kirishima nodded knowingly, "My point exactly."

Bakugo slammed the glass down on the table between them, "The fuck do you want me to say, dumbass? I give everybody shit."

"Yeah, well sometimes," Kirishima slid the empty glass away from Bakugo so that the blonde wouldn't inevitably smash it, "Your shit talking turns into real shit talking. It tends to actually hurt people's feelings."

"That's a fucking relief," Bakugo rolled his eyes with annoyance. "Thanks for the reassurance, dipshit. Do you really think I don't know that?"

Kirishima shrugged again, "That depends. Did you intend to actually hurt Uraraka's feelings? She looked upset."

"She's not upset," Bakugo growled. "She wasn't fucking crying or anything so what's the big deal?"

"You are so fucking stupid sometimes," The red-head breathed hopelessly. "It's a miracle that you can tie your damn shoes, Bakugo."

Bakugo contemplated strangulation as his method of torture for his friend. Kirishima had gotten too used to his insults by now, so physical abuse was the only sure way to enact revenge for that comment. "Fuck you, Kirishima."

"No," Kirishima straightened up as his glass of whiskey was delivered, "Fuck you, Bakugo. You're too big an ass sometimes and Uraraka doesn't deserve your dickheadedness. Maybe Mina was right about you."

The blonde watched as Kirishima threw back the whiskey and dropped it on the table. He wasn't sure if Kirishima was angry with him or just giving him shit as usual. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

Kirishima gave Bakugo a serious look, "You tell me. If you like that girl, then start acting like a man and stop being such an ass. If you don't, then quit pining over her like the hopeless idiot you are."

Bakugo flexed his fingers, "If you're looking to fight, then we should take this outside."

"Quit avoiding the question, Bakugo." Kirishima began tucking his shirt back in. "You can pretend that you don't want her all you want, but you have to decide. Uraraka is too sweet and too cute for a jerk like you but I've had your back. Now it's time for you to decide. I won't tell you what to do anymore, dude. You're on your own."

The blonde felt rage flare up in his gut, "I'm happy to kick your ass right here and now. It doesn't fucking matter to me, so maybe you should decide."

Kirishima smoothed out his newly tucked in shirt and frowned. "I'm not going to fight you, dude. You're my best fucking friend."

"Well you don't fucking act like it," Bakugo grit his teeth angrily.

"Alright," Mina suddenly appeared and patted them both on the shoulder lightly. "We definitely don't want to make a scene." She smiled sweetly at the few other party goers that were scattered nearby before she yanked them both toward her. "What the shit are you two boneheads doing?"

Bakugo pulled away sharply, "Fuck off, pinky."

Kirishima eased himself from her grip, "Bakugo and I were just having a heated discussion about our dear sweet friend Uraraka."

She crossed her arms questioningly, "Oh yeah? What were you guys having such a heated discussion about?"

"Didn't I just tell you to fuck off?" Bakugo fired back at her, his rage unquelled.

"I was just telling Bakugo that he should be mindful of what he says to her," Kirishima shrugged slowly. "I'd hate to see him offend her."

She picked up what Kirishima was putting down but she wasn't so kind about it. She turned to glare at the blonde furiously, "What did you do?"

Bakugo clenched his fists, "What the fuck? I'm out of here." He turned to leave but Mina grabbed him by the blazer and reeled him back in.

"You're not getting out of this one so easy, explody-face." She narrowed her eyes at him.

He snatched her hand and threw it off of him, "I'll fucking fight you too, pinky."

"Guys," Kirishima breathed hotly. "Didn't we just decide that we wouldn't cause a scene?"

"If you won't tell me," Mina turned toward Kirishima, "Perhaps this one will."

The red-head raised his hands defensively, "Hey, I don't know anymore than you do. All I know is that Uraraka hurried out of here quick and Bakugo said he had been giving her some shit."

"Giving her some… Are you serious?" She turned to glower at Bakugo. "Have you learned nothing?"

Bakugo glared maliciously at the pair, "Why the fuck do you both seem to care so much about what I say to roundface?"

"Because, you dolt!" She slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand. "You have a giant crush on her and you're blowing it big time. What, do you want her to go back to Deku?"

"Go back?" He felt his first question slip out and he rushed to repair it. "And I don't fucking like her. Why the hell does everyone keep saying that shit?"

"Listen up," Mina glared back at him, "And listen good." She pointed an accusing finger at him, "I don't like this at all, alright? I do not support this crush by any means. Deku is a damn saint compared to you, but it's painfully obvious that you're crushing on my friend."

"Shut the hell up-" Bakugo started but Mina rudely interrupted with the same threatening tone.

"I'm not done." She kept her voice low to keep from drawing spectators. "You need to get your shit together or you're going to hurt that poor girl. If she leaves Deku for you and you break her heart? Well, you won't want to know what happens then."

"I think that's enough," Kirishima lowered Mina's hand and coaxed her to relax. "All we're saying is that you have to choose. Either go out there and fix what you did or leave it to us. But if you don't do it, then you'll lose any future chance with Uraraka."

Bakugo glared harshly at both of them, "What the fuck is wrong with you people?"

Both Mina and Kirishima sighed with indignation but Kirishima was the one to speak. "So what's it going to be, Bakugo? Are you going to go after her or not?"

The blonde felt the expectation of their gazes on him and he turned his glare to the doors of the balcony. Had he really upset Uraraka that much? He mulled over the conversation he'd had with her before Kirishima showed up and after a minute of thinking, he was beginning to realize where he'd gone wrong.

But that wasn't even his biggest problem right now. He was on blast by the two idiots in front of him. What the fuck kid of ultimatum was this anyway? It actually felt more like an intervention and that boiled his blood enough to blow steam out of his ears.

He wretched his hands and they felt sticky with sweat. It was a feeling he was used to, but this time it felt different. They were more clammy right now. Was it nerves? That couldn't be right, he never got nervous.

He scanned the room before his glare fell back on the door to the balcony. Uraraka had said she'd only take a minute, but a significant amount of time has passed since then. It did seem like a rather long time to get a breath of fresh air.

"Bakugo?" Kirishima finally broke the silence.

The blonde tore his gaze from the door and glared at the two morons before him. "Where do you two get off acting so high and mighty?"

"You know what," Mina shook her head and crossed her arms, "Forget it. Kirishima and I will go talk to her. Why don't you just go home, huh?"

"Fucking can it, pinky." Bakugo didn't break character. "I do what I want." He glared at them for a moment longer before he turned toward the balcony. Damn it, he better not regret this.

Mina and Kirishima watched the blonde stalk away. He looked like a kid with a bad attitude, but that was the Bakugo that they knew.

"What do you think?" Kirishima asked as Bakugo left earshot.

Mina blinked, unconvinced by Bakugo's intentions. "I think he'll blow it. Actually, I hope he does."

Kirishima chuckled, "Sometimes you have to play hardball with Bakugo. Maybe that's something Uraraka will learn in time."

The pink girl scoffed and watched the door close behind Bakugo, "You act like she's already left Deku in the dust. He still has a fifty percent stake in this battle. My money is on him, even with his sorry ass in America."

Kirishima waived the waitress down again, "Well you're forgetting one thing, Mina. The most important thing."

She turned to give him an unimpressed look, "Am I? And what would that be?"

Kirishima ordered them a round of drinks before smirking at her, "Bakugo never loses."

* * *

The night air had a nip to it and Bakugo took it as a sign that fall was coming soon. The city beneath him was a familiar sight and sound as he walked up to the railing and breathed. He needed to relax. He'd gotten way too heated with Kirishima and Mina and he'd come close to blasting them off.

The balcony was mostly empty aside from a couple that was huddled together on the railing. He turned to look at them coldly and they stared back at him. "Fuck off, extras." His words were laced with intent.

Both man and woman looked surprised by his words but they decided against challenging them. They whispered to each other for a moment before moving to go back inside.

Bakugo glanced around the balcony and spotted Uraraka further down it. She had her elbows on the railing and she was standing on one foot, her shoes on the ground beside her. He leaned against the railing for a while and looked at her.

What does he say to her right now? He wasn't entirely sure how he'd fucked up yet, but he had a vague idea. But the overpowering feeling he felt was humiliation. This shit was embarrassing and he hated that more than anything. If he went to talk to her, his pride would be very wounded. But even if he backed out, Kirishima and Mina still knew his original intentions and that was humiliation enough.

Unable to form a coherent plan, Bakugo figured he was running out of time to do so. He always did things better when he winged it anyway. He slowly approached her and cleared his throat.

She blinked and turned to see who was there, "Bakugo?"

He shoved his hands into the pockets of his slacks and meandered up to her with a nod.

She fell back onto both feet and turned toward him, "I was only going to be a minute, but this view is amazing."

He turned to look down at the city but the noise of traffic and people was slightly drowned out by the sound of the music inside the ballroom. "Yeah," He forced the word out unenthusiastically.

"I'll be back inside later. I just need a few more minutes," She leaned back on the railing and looked down. "You don't have to check on me."

"I wasn't," He clenched his jaw as he finally stopped a few feet away from her and rested his hip on the railing.

She looked the tiniest bit annoyed, "So what then? Did you come back out here to give me a harder time about my hero ranking? Don't worry, I got the message the first time."

He breathed out a sigh of indignation and closed his eyes, "Fuck, roundface. I didn't mean you."

She scoffed and decided against a reply.

He let the awkward silence hang for a moment, hoping she'd say something to fill the void. At least it would be something he could build off of. When it never came, he fought to keep the conversation going, "Damn it, you already had my respect."

She leaned off the railing and knelt to pick up her shoes, "Well that would be great to hear if I believed you, but I don't. I'm sorry Bakugo, but I think I'm going to head home now."

"Stop," He commanded with a more direct tone. "Please."

The plea took her by surprise. It was a strange word to hear his voice say. The most shocking aspect was his sincere tone, so she complied and halted her departure. She let her eyes fall on his face expectantly.

He watched the shoes sway in her hand before he looked at her face. She looked like she was trying to be angry, but her eyes looked tired. He should have known better than to insult her in the first place and it was a lesson he was having a hard time learning. "I suck at giving apologies, alright? But…" He looked away and toward the city's skyline. "I'm sorry."

She sighed softly and closed her eyes, "No, you're right Bakugo." She shuffled her feet awkwardly on the cold concrete. "I should earn your respect. Maybe one day I'll have it, but I need to work harder. If only I could work harder…" Her voice fell to a whisper.

"Would you quit the poor me act for a minute?" Bakugo felt the rage he had previously harbored rear its head again. "You're wrong, alright? You've earned my respect already and the same goes for anyone else. You worked just as hard, if not harder, than a lot of us in high school. It's hard not to respect that."

She almost laughed at his comment, "Well that's all well and good, but that was three years ago. I've done nothing but sit around since then, so maybe I am nothing more than a low rank hero. You shouldn't respect me and I don't want your pity." She moved to leave again, but was stopped once more.

Bakugo reached without thinking and grabbed her by the elbow. He gruffly turned her back toward him, aiming for a gentle touch but delivering one that was far from it. "Damn it, roundface. I don't pity you. You're too proud for that. It's not worth my breath to lie to you."

She pulled her elbow from his hold and took a step back, "It's funny to hear you preach about respecting me when you can't even call me by my name."

Bakugo was at odds. How does he deal with this? His snarky comebacks didn't seem appropriate right now and he didn't know how to fix this without them. "For fuck sake, I tease you because you make it so damn easy."

She shook her head incredulously, "What do you really want, Bakugo? If it's an apology, then fine. I forgive you."

"No," He replied, unsure of what to say. "Well, yes. I wanted to apologize."

"Alright," She nodded sharply, "Then we're done here. I have to go."

"Uraraka," He snapped. "Stop trying to run away."

She closed her eyes with frustration and breathed slowly, "I'm not running away. I just don't have anything else to say."

"Well I do," He took a bold step forward and closed the space between them a little more. He tensed as she looked up at him with widening eyes. She was much shorter with the shoes off and he trained his eyes on hers.

"What?" She asked quietly, afraid to move away from him.

He broke from her gaze and shifted uncomfortably. He dug his hands back into his slacks and opened his mouth hesitantly, "Fuck this… This is stupid." He finally looked at her again. "I… I think you're strong, alright? You want to make a bigass comeback and I respect that. You don't take shit lying down, not even from me. It's hard to not respect you but I don't think Deku does."

She paused as she drank in his words, but only one question floated into her mind. "What do you mean about Deku?"

Bakugo was really regretting his decision to wing this now because he really didn't want to bring up that shitnerd. "It's no secret that I fucking hate that guy," Bakugo began sourly. "He's a goddamn kiss-ass and a pretty boy but I respect his hero status. He seems to respect everyone but you, alright? He treats you like a fucking pet."

She was taken aback by his bold observation and she felt a flush of anger, "What would you know about Deku and I?"

"I know that he drove you to beat the living snot out of a punching bag," Bakugo retorted with equal fire. "I know what you told me that day too. That he thinks your some helpless girl that can't walk down a fucking street without being in danger. That is the Deku that I don't respect."

She glowered at him, "Well don't act so high and mighty, you told me that I was insecure and I couldn't do better on that same day."

"Which I made up to you," He pointed out right away. "I fucked up and I have already admitted that shit to you."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "I appreciate that, Bakugo, but I still don't understand what you're trying to say."

Bakugo shifted uncomfortably as she reopened her eyes to him. What the fuck does he say now? Was there anything he could say without coming off like an ass? "I just…" He was at a loss for words.

"You just what?" She pressed harder, her limited patience was beginning to fade. "I get it, okay? You respect me. All is forgiven."

"Damn it, Uraraka." Bakugo snapped harshly. "It's more than that!"

She recoiled slightly at his tone, "Then what is it, Bakugo? What do you want?" Her voice went quiet and took on a more defensive tone.

He ground his teeth in annoyance and he looked away. He didn't have words for what he wanted to say because it was still unclear to even him. Instead, he decided to take action.

Uraraka didn't expect Bakugo to close the space between them and grab her hand. She was pulled into him and his other hand rested on her waist. "What are you doing?" She was flustered for words.

"Relax," He grunted and began to sway to the muffled sound of the music inside. "Drop the damn shoes, will you?"

She froze up in his grasp before she gingerly dropped the shoes on the ground, thankful that they didn't float away instead. She wasn't sure what to do next, but Bakugo did the thinking for her.

He lifted his hand from her waist to carefully place her hand on his shoulder before he returned his own to its original position. "Just follow my lead."

She was tense in his grasp as he awkwardly swayed with her, "Bakugo, what's going on?"

He grit his teeth and kept his gaze away from her curious eyes. "This…" He fought for the words. "This is what I wanted, damn it."

"A dance?" She asked dumbly and she tried to match his swaying form.

The blonde was beside himself with humiliation. Of all the things in the world he could have picked, this was by far the least manly in his eyes. "Yes." The word was so forced, even he had to reign in a wince.

"Alright," She murmured with a confused tone and she tried to focus on matching him. "Why a dance?"

What was with her and the twenty questions? Bakugo forced himself to swallow his pride, "An apology wasn't enough."

She cracked a tiny smile, "So you went with a dance? How polite."

He felt a twinge of annoyance seep into his chest as he picked up the speed of their sways to match the muffled song better. "You're pushing it, Uraraka."

Her smile grew a little more, "So I'm Uraraka now, huh?"

"Well I'm happy to keep calling your roundface," Bakugo fired back, "But you're the one who complained about it."

She giggled faintly, "I did, didn't I?"

He bit back a snide remark and settled with focusing on the song and the dance again. He swayed simply with her as it played through the walls of the hotel and barely made it to the balcony. The breeze tickled his hair and the smell of the city wafted with it.

She tensed with the chill, but she hoped he wouldn't notice. There was something comforting about this moment they were having together and she didn't want the night air to be the thing that ruined it.

However, he did notice her slight shiver but he didn't pull away. "If you're cold, why didn't you think to bring a coat?"

She rolled her eyes at him, "Honestly, I thought I'd be home by now. Besides, I didn't know it would be this chilly tonight."

"It's August," He stated bluntly and slowly swayed them in a circle.

She glanced down at her outfit and sighed, "Well, I didn't really have any coats to go with this dress either, so it just seemed easier to go without."

Bakugo blinked at her through his guarded eyes, "That's a fancy dress. I didn't think you owned anything of that caliber."

She intentionally stepped on his foot and tossed him an unimpressed look, "It was a gift. And you should be happy I'm not wearing those shoes because your foot would be hurting a whole lot more if I were."

He smirked back at her defiant glare, "Your feet probably hurt more just from wearing those damn things."

She shrugged in his grasp as he circled them around again, "They really aren't that bad. They're just difficult to walk in. I don't usually wear heels."

"Well you look good," Bakugo felt the words drop from his lips and he immediately clamped his mouth shut. His tore his eyes away from her in embarrassment and tried to find somewhere else to put them.

She was happy for his reaction because she had blushed at his forward compliment. "Er… Thank you."

Bakugo swallowed the awkward lump in his throat, "For fuck sake, don't ever fucking mention this."

She laughed airily and they both heard the song draw to a close. She reluctantly allowed him to pull away from her and she occupied herself with putting her heels back on her feet. "I should probably head home."

He grabbed her clutch bag off the ground for her and held it out, "Same here. I'll walk you home."

"I was just going to go with Mina," She shrugged, "She has a bunch of stuff at my place."

Bakugo rolled his eyes at the mention of that name, "She's a little bit busy getting chummy with that smart ass Kirishima. His dumbass will walk her back, so don't worry about them."

"Uh," She furrowed her eyebrows at his words, "Alright then. Shall we go?"

He pulled his blazer off and handed it to her, "After you put this on. I won't be responsible for you getting a damn cold."

She eyed the coat skeptically before she reached for it, "Thank you." She rested it over her shoulders and pulled it closed in front of her. "Let's go."

He held the door open for her before they crossed the ballroom for the exit. He intentionally avoided eye contact with Kirishima and Mina from where he'd left them a few minutes ago. He was sure they were watching them both closely and it made his blood boil again.

Uraraka smiled as they exited to the street and he let her lead the way. Perhaps this party had been more than just a work opportunity. It was beginning to feel like much bigger opportunities had presented themselves.

* * *

"Welcome to Haneda Airport! We welcome you to Tokyo Japan!"

Deku sluggishly rode an escalator down to the exit of the airport. He'd taken a red-eye flight back to Japan for a few days. It had been an exhausting ordeal making this spur of the moment trip happen, but he figured it would be worth it.

Uraraka had been very short with him for the last few weeks and she only seemed to get worse by the day. She kept insisting she was alright and that everything was going great, but he was doubtful. She hadn't been her normal cheery self at all. He missed seeing her smiling face and her rosy cheeks. He could only hope that this short trip would give him the opportunity to work things out with her.

His mother had suggested the trip after he'd shared their troubles with her. She had claimed that a grand act would help him repair their relationship and open the door to new possibilities. His mother loved Uraraka dearly and was thrilled that her son had chosen well. It hadn't been a year into their relationship before she started pressuring him to pop the big question to her. He had resisted, citing his developing career. But right now, he wish he'd listened to her. Maybe she would have come to America with him if they were married.

Uraraka's parents were also fond of the relationship. Uraraka had never failed to mention how much they adored him. Their dinners at her parent's house had gone as well as any of them had hoped and they had always marvelled at his great success for his age.

But as he exited the airport and waived down a taxi, he couldn't help but be somewhat worried. Was he making a big mistake by coming back unannounced? He doubted she'd be mad but she may not be ready to talk yet.

He got into the taxi with his duffle bag and gave an address for a local hotel. It was the middle of the night, so he'd stop in the next morning. Hopefully, the next day would pan out well for the both of them.

* * *

 **lol hi guys... A smell a twist in the air haha :D I'm super happy with how this chapter turned out and I'm so glad that Bakugo finally had to confront his feelings and acknowledge them! xD Mina and Kirishima are such good friends lol.**

 **Sorry this chapter took a little longer than normal to get out. I got home from work super late last night and I was too tired to finish, edit, and post this. So yeah, I'm sorry about that!**

 **Kreshi: I hope I came through with a good chapter. I can honestly say it's only going to get more interesting from here :D Thanks for the review!**

 **NumberSixteen: Yay! I'm happy to see that you're back and still reading this xD I thought the little tag joke was fun and goofy (and SOO Kirishima) and I'm glad someone else liked it too! Thanks for the review!**

 **sevas007: I put a dance in this chapter just for you :D I really hope you liked it lol. I hope the same thing because omg what are the odds of them matching, right? Thanks for the review!**

 **Penrose Quinn: I think you're going to love the next chapter :) You seem to be dying for some fluff! But yes, I agree with your point about polite Bakugo. You wouldn't believe how hard that was to write lol! Thank you for your review!**

 **patrewe: Another new comer! Yay! Thank you for your review and I'm so thrilled you like this so far! Cuteness and fluff are coming, I can promise that! xD**

 **dummergirl101: YAS! Let all them ships sail! I could not agree more lol! I'm feeling great so thank you for asking! I'm just happy to be back to my normal routine. Thanks for the review! I hope you liked this chapter!**

 **minor-heat: Thank you for your super nice reviews! I'm really glad you like this so far and I'll keep working hard on trying to maintain their characters through out the story. I really hope you liked this chapter too!**

 **I love how many newcomers there were this chapter! You guys are fantastic! Thanks for all your feedback :D I'll get to work right now and I promise that I will have a chapter for you tomorrow! As always, I love to hear from you guys. I love our little conversations :)**

 **XOXO**


	13. Chapter 13

The night air was calm and cool as Uraraka walked quietly beside Bakugo. Truthfully, there wasn't much to say between them now that they had left the hotel far behind. She had regretted not talking to Mina before she left but it was too late for that now.

Bakugo had undone his tie and the top two buttons of his dress shirt. He walked beside her with a slight frown. His hands were restless in the pockets of his slacks and he was anxious to get her home. Despite that, he didn't quicken their leisurely pace. Clearly, her shoes were beginning to hurt her feet. He had noticed that her steps had changed and she walked along a little more awkwardly now. He caught her pulling his blazer tighter across her chest and the sleeves swayed from her shoulders, dipping more than halfway down her skirt.

The silence between them wasn't uncomfortable but it certainly had an edge to it. It was like both of them had something to say but neither wanted to be the first to speak. So, they opted to walk in silence.

They were nearing Uraraka's street when she suddenly halted on the sidewalk. Bakugo watched as she ripped open her clutch and began rifling through the wallet-sized purse desperately. He furrowed his eyebrows at her dismayed expression, "What the fuck are you doing?"

Another moment passed before she gave up searching through it and used one hand to rub her temples, "I locked my key inside my apartment. I must have forgotten it in my other purse."

"Fucking really?" Bakugo closed his eyes and huffed a breath of irritation. "Where's your spare?"

She laughed airily, "It's in America with Deku…" She couldn't help but feel ridiculous.

Bakugo fought against all the impulsive insults that piled up in his throat, "Fucking fantastic."

She wanted to slap herself for her idiocy, "Well, I'm sure I could stay at Mina's place. I'll just wait for her outside my apartment." She moved to continue walking. "It's no big deal."

Bakugo desperately wanted to roll with that plan but he couldn't keep the scolding image of Mina and Kirishima out of his head. "I can't just leave you there by yourself."

"Sure you can," Uraraka defended as she slowly began to walk again.

"No," Bakugo's gaze signalled for her to stop walking. "You have my coat and that thing costs a fortune. There's no way I'm leaving it with you."

She smiled awkwardly, "Alright, well do you want to wait with me?"

"Fuck no," Bakugo rolled his eyes, "Those two will take all night before they get here. You'd be lucky if those dipshits even bothered to answer their damn phones."

She was at a loss for words, "Then I guess we could just go back."

Bakugo considered all the options before he decided to start waving down a cab, "Don't be stupid, roundface. Your feet would never survive the walk back and I don't want to be around our idiot coworkers anymore than you do. We'll just go to my place."

"Your place?" Uraraka sputtered out, shocked by his even tone.

Bakugo watched as a cab began to pull over, "Don't sound so surprised, roundface. Just get in the damn car."

She hesitantly walked up as the cab came to a stop and followed him inside. She was silent as he listed the address to the driver and she subconsciously pulled on the fabric of his blazer.

Once the taxi began to pull into traffic, she glanced at him. "Are you sure that this is okay?"

He didn't answer her but nodded his head once. He was pretty stressed out by the prospect. It had been a few years since he'd invited a woman over. But this was less of an invite and more of a necessity. The biggest reason was that he didn't want to hear a fucking word from the two idiots that had lectured him earlier tonight. Those nosy dipshits would have no qualms grilling him about his conversation with Uraraka and he'd had enough of them in one night to last a lifetime. It was easier to avoid them altogether even if he had to open his place up to the source of his biggest stressor.

"Thank you," She muttered quietly and looked down at her hands. "I feel like such an idiot."

"The building manager can open it up for you in the morning," Bakugo growled the words out.

She nodded silently and tried to focus on the movements of the car. She turned to look out the window and noticed that they were entering into a much nicer part of Tokyo's residential districts. The buildings were tall, well maintained, and relatively new. The shops on the ground floors were higher end and the restaurants had pleasant storefronts. Even the landscaping looked well trimmed and taken care of. Is this what higher ranking heroes could afford?

The cab came to a stop outside a minimally tall granite slate building. Bakugo rudely paid the cab driver before he followed her out of the backseat. Once he emerged, he observed her looking up at the building with a slight smile on her lips. "What?" He asked gruffly.

She blinked and turned her attention onto him, "Oh, nothing." She felt her smile grow a little more. "This place looks nice."

Bakugo scowled, "Yeah, I know. It's better than the dump you're living in."

Her smile disappeared and was replaced with a frown, "Figures you'd say that."

"Well I'm not wrong," Bakugo defended with a snarky tone and made his way to the building's entrance. "Hurry the hell up, roundface."

Uraraka started and hurried after him, "Hey, you're the one that invited me here, remember?"

Bakugo scoffed as he grasped the door handle, "And I'd be just as happy to leave your ass here on the sidewalk."

She frowned again, "Then you wouldn't get your jacket back. Who's holding all the cards now?"

Bakugo snatched blazer off of her shoulders before she could even finish her response. "I guess I am."

"Not fair," She bit back and crossed her arms.

Bakugo glared back at her, "When have I ever been fair?"

She didn't have a comeback for that one so she just held her glare and hoped it sent a strong enough message.

Bakguo slung the jacket over his shoulder and smirked at his victory, "No more smartass remarks, roundface? And here I thought you might actually have a mouth on you. Figures."

She huffed resentfully, "Well at least I don't have to resort to insults to have a smart mouth."

"But I'm still holding all the cards," Bakugo held the door shut. "You're the one that locked yourself out of your own apartment with no jacket and shit shoes. I'd say I'm actually being a pretty decent guy."

She stared at him and found herself without a response again. "So what do you want?"

He smirked wickedly at her question, "Grovel."

"Grovel?" She asked with an exasperated tone. "You want me to beg to come in?"

"No," Bakugo maintained his smug expression. "I want to hear about how you think I'm the best hero there is. In fact, I think I'm a bit of your personal hero right now."

"Pfft," She rolled her eyes. "How egotistical of you. Typical."

"Fine," Bakugo shot back and opened the door wide enough for only himself to get through. "Have fun walking in the cold." He began to shut the door behind him and smirked when she caught it.

"Ugh," She groaned. "Alright…"

He paused and pushed the door open a little wider, "Let's hear it, roundface."

She shuffled in place for a minute and reconsidered but he didn't give her much time before he began to inch the door closed again. "You…" She started wretchedly, "Are the best hero. My…" She swallowed up a large portion of her pride. "Personal hero…"

He felt a rush of victory, "I'll never let you live that shit down."

"Can I come in now?" She asked, disregarding his claim and trying to shake off her humiliation.

He released the door handle so that she could let herself into the building, "Hurry the hell up. You've wasted enough time already."

"I wasted time?" She shot back incredulously. "You know what, forget it." She shook her head and followed him to the elevator at the end of the hall.

When they climbed in, she watched as Bakugo punched the button for the top floor. "You have a high rise apartment?"

"Fuck," Bakugo shook his head. "Not all of us live in squalor, Uraraka."

She clamped her mouth shut and frowned. This was certainly going to be a long night for her. Maybe she should have insisted on going back to the hotel to wait for Mina.

The elevator chimed and released them on his floor. She followed as he begrudgingly led her down the hall to his door. He slipped his key into the lock but held off turning it. "I have two rules," He growled. "Don't fucking touch anything and don't make a fucking mess."

She frowned, "I wasn't planning to."

"I've been to your place, roundface." He stared at her with a warning gaze. "It's a damn nightmare."

Her jaw dropped slightly, "It is not a nightmare!"

"Don't flatter yourself," Bakugo finally turned the key and pushed the door open. "And take your damn shoes off."

She followed him inside, suddenly hesitant about the entire situation. How had she gotten here? This was not how she had thought her night would go. She glanced around the room and realized it was pretty nice. The furniture wasn't cheap and the kitchen had beautiful granite countertops. The hardwood floors were in good condition and accentuated the dark grey walls. She was almost entertained by how grown-up it felt but still retained a bachelor tone.

She watched as Bakugo kicked off his shoes and she followed suit, sighing with relief as she finally curled her toes on flat ground. As soon as she stepped further into the apartment, a note of awkwardness filled the air. Neither one knew what to do at that point.

Bakugo scowled at the stupidity of his decision to bring her here. What was the point in all this? If it had been anyone else, he would have told them that they had shit luck and left them on the damn sidewalk. But here he was, willingly allowing Uraraka into his sacred place. Deku's fucking girlfriend was about to crash here. His stomach flipped and he went to throw his blazer over the back of the couch.

Uraraka remained by the door for a while longer before she tiptoed over to one of his windows and pushed the curtain aside. The street was far below them and she revelled at the sight. He had an amazing view and she couldn't help the twinge of jealousy growing in her gut.

Bakugo eyed her as she peered through the window. He was slowly learning that Uraraka never missed a chance to admire the city. He wasn't sure what she was so captivated by. It was just a bunch of concrete buildings and lights and he supposed he'd never understand the appeal. There were too many people here for him to find any enjoyment from it.

He left her alone and went toward his bedroom to change, closing the door behind him. Once he flipped on the lights, he saw his bed and a wave of uncertainty washed over him. Does he offer it to her? It was his bed after all. He'd been playing the gentleman all night, but something about handing his sleeping place over to someone else seemed like an enormous ask.

He wandered to his dresser and grabbed a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. He set to work on unbuttoning his dress shirt while he considered his options. Letting her take the bed was clearly the right thing to do, but it did not sit comfortably with him. Not only would she be sleeping where he slept every night, but she'd be in his bedroom. It was his last line of defense to privacy. Very few have ever been allowed past that point.

He was leaning toward not offering her the bed when his mind finally asked a question he was not expecting. What would his mother say? Damn that wretched woman. If she ever found out that he'd been so selfish, he was sure that she wouldn't hesitate to make his life a living hell.

He groaned as he finally slipped into his sweats and shirt. He snatched his suit off the floor and scowled as he stored it in his closet. He'd made his mind up but he was already regretting his choice.

He harshly yanked his bedroom door open to see Uraraka propping some pillows up on one end of his sofa. His throw blanket was spread across it and she blinked up at him with surprise. "The fuck are you doing?" He asked bluntly at the sight.

She hesitantly released the pillow she was fluffing and stood upright, "I… I was just making a bed for myself."

Bakugo shook his head in disbelief, "What exactly do you take me for, roundface?"

"Huh?" She asked dumbly, "I just thought that-"

He cut her off sternly, "You have to take the bed, damn it." He entered the living room and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not that big of an ass, you know."

She shook her head violently, "No, I'll be okay here. It's your bed so you should sleep in it. I'm already in your way enough."

He watched as she sat down on the cushions and began spreading the blanket over her legs. "You're going to sleep in that fucking thing?" Bakugo eyed the dress she was wearing.

She looked thoroughly embarrassed now, "Well, it's really not that uncomfortable. I'll be fine!" She smiled weakly at him and smoothed the blanket over her knees.

The blonde wanted to curse her out pretty bad right now. Why did she have to make this so difficult? "Damn it, Uraraka. Get the hell up."

She hesitated before softly shaking her head, "Seriously, Bakugo. I'll be fine here."

"Just shut up and stop making fucking excuses." He turned around sharply and stormed back into his room. He roughly yanked his dresser drawers open again and grabbed a second pair of sweats and a crew neck t-shirt. As soon as he exited the room for the second time, he tossed them at the now-standing brunette. "The bathroom is down the hall and the bedroom is yours. I swear, if you making a fucking mess, you'll never hear the end of that shit."

She caught the clothes and chewed on her lip for a moment, "Er… Thank you." She tiptoed reluctantly toward the hallway. "I promise I'll make this up to you, okay?"

"You can make it up to me by never breathing a fucking word to anyone about this," Bakugo grouched and wandered to the makeshift bed she'd made on his couch.

She nodded and made a brisk exit to his bathroom. By the time she'd shut the door behind her, she was breathing heavily. This entire situation was so unbearably awkward! She stared at her flustered face in his mirror and slapped her cheeks lightly to try and rid herself of her blush. How stupid did she have to be to lock herself out of her apartment?

She tenderly lifted the forest green sweats and black t-shirt from where she'd set them on the bathroom sink. Borrowing his clothes was the icing on her disgraceful cake. This was becoming more messy by the minute.

She fumbled her dress off and slid into the borrowed items. They were baggy on her and she had to tie the sweats tightly around her waist. The hunter green fabric drooped well past her feet and enveloped them. The t-shirt felt heavy on her shoulders but they smelled freshly washed. It was a smell she couldn't quite put her finger on. It had hints of smoke and an earthy cologne but there was something else too. What was it…?

She decided not to dwell on it and stared at herself in the mirror again. She glanced around the tiled bathroom for a hand towel and began washing her face, working off the thick layer of makeup around her eyes and the coat of foundation. Once she was rid of it, she felt completely exposed. The imperfections she normally covered up were now in the open for Bakugo, of all people, to see.

She ran her fingers through her hair for a moment before she gathered up her dress and left the bathroom. When she re-entered the hallway, she noticed that the lights had been turned off. She carefully tiptoed back toward his bedroom and glanced into the living room.

Bakugo was lying on the sofa with the throw blanket tossed haphazardly over him. He had his eyes closed and she figured he was trying to ignore her. The sooner she disappeared, the better.

She quietly closed the bedroom door behind her and fumbled for the light switch. His room smelled the same as his clothes and once the light was on, she found her eyebrows raising in surprise. This room was nothing like she'd assumed it would be but also felt exactly right.

She set her folded dress on his bedside table and turned on the lamp so she could turn off the overhead light. When she finally gathered up enough courage, she pulled back the duvet and gingerly laid down. It felt like an expensive bed and she didn't doubt that it was. The heavy duvet sunk down on her and cocooned her into her place once the lamp was turned off.

It was quiet in the room. Very quiet. It was nothing like her apartment. Normally, sirens and the sound of traffic lulled her to sleep, but here it was silent. She shifted in the covers and closed her eyes, praying that sleep would come soon.

* * *

Bakugo had peered through slit eyelids as Uraraka had disappeared into his bedroom. Her shadowy figure quietly shut the door behind her and he felt a deep surge of discomfort. It was too late for him to go back now and he scowled as the light came on under the door. He hoped dearly that she would be wise enough not to rifle through his things and was relieved when the lights were turned off a few minutes later.

Now, he was just staring at the ceiling of his living room and once again, the silence in his apartment was deafening. On the other side of his bedroom door, Uraraka was sleeping in his bed and the tense awkwardness between himself and that damn door was enough to scare away any hope of sleep.

He wrung his hands in the blanket and glared at the ceiling for a while, unsure of what to do with himself. He supposed he could turn on the tv and let the sound distract him but he didn't want to risk waking up Uraraka. So he lay in silence, mulling over the events of the night. They hadn't panned out the way he wanted them to at all. He never would have believed it if he had been told beforehand.

Suddenly, a sound tore him away from his thoughts. If he wasn't mistaken, it was laughter. He furrowed his eyebrows and sat up to listen harder. Had he imagined it?

A minute passed before another laugh echoed through his apartment and he tensed at the sound. Was that dimwit laughing in his bed? He threw the blanket off and marched over to his door to listen again.

Once he was beside it, he could hear murmuring and a giggle. He frowned but continued his silent listening.

Uraraka's words were slurred and jumbled but he couldn't make out more than a few scattered words before she descended into another laugh. Finally, it dawned on him. That roundface idiot talks in her damn sleep.

His scowl lifted from his face and now he was expressionless. It was a strange discovery and he couldn't help but be amused. Of course she talks in her sleep. Why would he be surprised by that? Another few lines of nonsense came from the other side of the door and he turned away.

"Bakugo!" He tensed at the sound of his name happily rolling off her tongue. It had come through clearly and he found himself jerking his head back toward the door. But just as she finished saying his name, she laughed again.

A look of dumb surprise took over his features. Was he making her laugh in her dream? He thought about it for a moment and his chest tightened. He found his ears straining to hear more, but she had reverted back to her incoherent mumbles. Whatever she was dreaming about, he was a part of it.

He stood by the door for another minute before retreating back to the sofa. A sensation of lightness had overwhelmed him as he tried to focus on laying the blanket over his legs. He felt like he'd just eavesdropped on her and it made him feel like both a creep and teenager again. He scolded himself for a minute before her laughter floated around the apartment again.

What was so damn funny?!

He threw his head back onto the pillow and snapped his eyes shut, torn between drowning out his thoughts with her laughter and the opposite. But despite the struggle, he felt a hint of a smile on the corner of his lips.

* * *

Deku arrived early at Uraraka's apartment toting flowers and a teddy bear holding an american flag. He knocked a few times without a response, so he figured she was still asleep. Perhaps he'd have to take this surprise a step further.

He fumbled with his keys before finally getting the door to open. He wandered inside hesitantly, "Uraraka?"

No response.

He furrowed his brows and shut the door behind him. "Uraraka?" He called a little louder as he glanced around her kitchen and living room. He set the flowers and bear on the kitchen counter and wandered to the bedroom. Poking his head in, he immediately noticed an enormous mess of clothes and shoes.

He pushed the door open to see a suitcase splayed out on the bed and a variety of dresses cluttered on the floor, dresser, and duvet. As he wandered a few more feet inside, he realized that Uraraka wasn't home and that troubled him. Based on the mess, he'd figured she'd left in a hurry the night before.

It didn't take much more investigation before he realized that the items around the room belonged to Mina and he felt himself relax a bit. Perhaps she'd stayed the night with their pink former classmate.

Eventually, he returned to the living room and sat down on the sofa. He whipped out his phone and sent Mina a text.

" _Hey Mina! Is Uraraka with you? I popped into town for a surprise visit but she isn't home."_

He waited for a response, but the text went unanswered. He frowned and looked around the room helplessly. Worry festered in his gut and he began to fret about where she was.

He stood up anxiously and wandered into her kitchen and occupied himself by glancing through her small stack of mail. Perhaps it would give him a clue to her whereabouts, but he found nothing. He spotted that her laptop was seated on the coffee table of the living room and he couldn't help his curiosity.

He sat down on the sofa once more and propped it open. He typed the password and it opened up to her internet browser. She had a few tabs open that were work related and he clicked on the one to her email. If she was working the weekend shift, the schedule could be found in her inbox.

He scrolled through her emails for the week and glanced through some of the open ones in hopes of finding a schedule but he was without luck. He scrolled back to the top and noticed an email that was sent early this morning that sat unopened. It was title "A Letter to Staff."

He considered opening it for a moment but decided it may be the the answer he was looking for and clicked on it.

" _To the staff who were present at the celebration party last night. Thank you all for coming and participating in Edgeshot's success…"_

Deku scrolled through the somewhat long email and skipped over all the parts that he didn't particularly matter to him. He eventually found himself at the bottom of the email.

" _We all look forward to what the future holds at this agency, Edgeshot in particular. Continue working hard and going Plus Ultra!"_

Deku frowned at the screen. Well, that hadn't really helped him aside from explaining Uraraka's mess in her bedroom. She clearly hadn't come home from the party last night and that was what worried him the most. Where had she ended up? If Mina had gotten her to drink again, the answer to his last question could be anywhere.

He glanced at his phone again to see if Mina had replied, but found a blank screen. He was really becoming worried now. He'd been at her apartment for over an hour now with nothing to show for it. He turned back to the email to search through the responses but a sound came from outside the apartment.

"Thanks for walking me home," Uraraka's voice came through the door as a key audibly was slipped through the lock. "And… Thanks for last night too."

The key turned the lock while the other person must have responded but Deku couldn't make out who it was. He stared at the door while it was shoved open.

"Let me at least make you a cup of coffee for your troubles," Uraraka released the handle and began stepping through the door. "It's the least I can do."

"Doesn't change the fact that you fucking owe me now," Bakugo's gravelly voice was finally revealed the second person.

Uraraka finally turned her head and looked inside her apartment only to see Deku seated on her sofa. She jumped and squealed with surprise, "Deku?"

The One for All user sat frozen in place while he observed her, his face a mix of confusion and surprise.

"What are you doing here?" Her tone was still surprised but also had a note of accusation.

Deku blinked for a moment as Bakugo came into view behind her, "I was just…" He struggled to find words.

"For fuck sake," Bakugo scowled at the sight of his arch nemesis.

"Why aren't you in America?" Uraraka asked exasperatedly.

Deku blinked dumbly for another moment before clearing his throat, "I caught a flight here last night and I-"

"Are you going through my emails?" Uraraka cut him off and boldly strutted toward the couch to view the laptop screen. "Why are you going through my emails?"

Deku was at a complete loss for words. He shook his head violently, "I didn't know where you were so I just thought…" He turned to look at the screen blankly.

"You couldn't just call?" She felt her voice beginning to raise and she was torn between anger and joy. "You had to search through my things?"

"It was supposed to be a surprise…" Deku had no idea what to say anymore. He turned back to see Bakugo standing in the doorway, a smug grin was plastered on the blonde's features. What was Uraraka doing with Bakugo? What was going on right now?

Uraraka leaned over the couch and shut the computer. "What are you doing here, Deku?" She stood upright and stared down at him.

"I'm going to get going," Bakugo shook his head at the scene. "Forget about the coffee." He turned and exited, leaving the door open as he descended the stairs.

"Why were you with Bakugo?" Deku finally found some footing and he managed to look back at his girlfriend.

"That doesn't matter right now," Uraraka dismissed the question and stormed back to her front door to slam it closed. "What is going on?"

Deku cleared his throat awkwardly, "I wanted to see you so I flew back for a few days."

Uraraka sighed and rubbed her forehead, "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

"I just thought…" Deku glanced at the flowers and the bear on her countertop, "I just thought I'd surprise you."

She followed his gaze to see the gifts and she sighed, "Deku…" She didn't know what to say to him at this moment. She was having mixed feelings about his sudden appearance and she wasn't sure how to handle it.

"I figured we could try and work things out," Deku stood up from the couch and met her by the door. "I know I haven't been the best boyfriend lately, so I wanted to try and fix things."

"Fix things?" She couldn't help the sharpness in her tone. "How?"

Deku took hold of her hands and rubbed his thumbs over the tops of them, "I don't know yet. I just thought this would be a start."

She pulled her hands away frustratedly, "A good start would have been to tell me that you were coming, Deku."

He frowned a little, "Why? So that you wouldn't show up with Bakugo?"

"Bakugo has nothing to do with this," Uraraka also frowned. "He and I are friends now."

"You and Bakugo are friends?" Deku knit his brows together while two and two began putting themselves together in his head. "Where were you last night?"

She scoffed at him and signalled to the black dress she was wearing, "Where do you think, Deku? You read my emails so I'm sure you already know."

Deku wasn't sure how to react so he simply continued to state the facts he knew, "No, I mean after the party."

She skewered her face into a look of indignation, "I locked myself out of the apartment so Bakugo offered to let me stay at his place, but I shouldn't have to explain myself to you right now."

Deku was surprised by her forceful, matter-of-fact tone. "Kacchan offered to let you stay at his place?" His own town was disbelieving.

"Yes, he did." Uraraka planted her hands on her hips, "I did say that we're friends now, didn't I?"

"Friends…" Deku backed away and turned to show her his back, "Kacchan doesn't do stuff like that."

Uraraka was put off by his suspicious tone, "It's not what you think, Deku. He was just being nice."

"Another adjective that doesn't describe Kacchan," Deku ran a hand over his face and he couldn't turn to look at her right now. "Is there something I need to know, Uraraka?"

She was silent and her face fell into one of shock, "Are... Are you serious right now?" The question felt small but it was laced with warning.

Deku finally turned to see her hurt expression, "I just had to ask." He barely managed a shrug, "It's just so hard to believe."

"Get out," She choked on the words. "Please." She reached for the door handle.

It was Deku's turn to be shocked, "Uraraka, I just want to-"

"I can't right now," Uraraka held up a hand to silence him. "I really can't. Please…" She opened the door. "Just leave."

Deku fell silent and nodded. "Alright," He murmured after a few tense seconds and stepped out the door.

"How long will you be in town for?" She asked as she hid behind her door, holding back tears.

"Until Tuesday," He replied as he hoped to catch another look at her before she closed the door.

"Okay," She barely managed a whisper before she let the door fall shut between them.

Deku was alone again and he simply stared at the closed door for a while. Where had this entire thing gone off the rails? They'd never fought like this in their three years together but he was quick to accuse her of cheating. Had he accused her? The better question is if he did, had she deserved that accusation?

He swallowed roughly and made a regrettable trip back down to the street. Just as he began the walk back toward his hotel, his phone began ringing. A bubble of hope rose in his chest as he hurried to answer it, not bothering to check the name.

"Deku?" Mina's voice sounded concerned through the phone. "You're in Japan?"

His face fell at the realization that it was not the person that he'd hoped, "Err… Yeah I am."

"Well Uraraka isn't here," She sounded hesitant. "She's not at her apartment?"

Deku cleared his throat and he worked back his wetting eyes, "Well she is now. It's… A long story."

Mina was silent for a while and he was worried he'd lost the connection for a second before she finally replied, "What happened?"

Deku shook his head and gripped the phone tightly, "I… Uh… I don't think I should talk about it with anyone but Uraraka right now. I'm sorry, Mina."

"Is she there with you?" Mina asked without missing a beat.

Deku bit his lip hesitantly, "No, but she and I are going to talk later."

Mina seemed to understand what he was trying to say, "Alright then. If you need anything or someone to talk to, you can always call me."

"Thanks," Deku replied curtly. "I have to go."

"Alright," Mina replied softly. "I'll talk to you soon, okay?"

"'Kay," He nodded and hung up. This morning had blown up in his face and he felt more alone on the streets of Tokyo that he had ever felt on the streets of America so far. It was a really strange feeling.

* * *

 **Whooooaaa that was hard to write. It's chapters like these that are the hardest to write everyone in character. It's a challenge though and I'm learning that I like those. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I'm so happy I managed to actually get this written and posted on time :D**

 **patrewe: Uraraka has to fall in love with him first, silly! :D Only then can Bakugo confess his feelings xD But I guess you'll just have to wait and see! Thanks for your review and I'm so glad you're liking my twist!**

 **MoeLester13: Thank you so much for your review! I am always flattered by reviews like this (my ego is slowly becoming more like Bakugo's lol). I'm so glad you love this twist and I can't wait to finish this part of the plot. Then all the fluff can begin happening :D**

 **Clarissa Kirishima: I legit laughed at your review! I touched my very soul and I'm still smiling about it. :D Thank you! I will make sure I keep up with consistent updates with this review in mind. I guess I can't keep you guys waiting too long lol!**

 **TheVincenzio: I'm glad to see you're back! You should definitely write something (fanfiction or not) because I'm sure you're 100x more creative than me xD If you do, let me know and I'll read it! My trip was great but exhausting. I'm just happy to be back! Thank you for your review and I hope you also enjoyed this chapter!**

 **Kreshi: Thank you so much for being a consistent reviewer! It really means a lot and I will do the best I can to make sure you have a new chapter as often as I can. It's the least I can do! Thank you and I hope you liked this chapter too!**

 **Alright my dudes, I'm going to get to work on the next chapter tonight and I'm aiming for no later than Saturday for an update. Fridays are kinda crazy at work so I can't guarantee an update by tomorrow. But I promise to work hard! I'll go Plus Ultra with writing this weekend to make up for my long week and a half break. Thanks guys!**

 **XOXO**


	14. Chapter 14

Bakugo left Uraraka's apartment with an attitude so bitter that even he was discomforted by it. He hadn't seen Deku in over a year but over the course of a minute, his disdain for that nerd had more than doubled. Of fucking course this shit would happen!

He reached the street and scowled fiercely at the sidewalk as he trudged away. He wasn't going in any particular direction, nor did he care to, but he knew he needed to get away from there. He got all the way to the nearest street corner and glared at the no-walk sign. A deeper pit of annoyance opened up and he punched the street light pole, hoping it would give release.

After everything… After he'd finally started to accept how he felt. After the patrols, the arguments, the party… After all of that, Deku shows up with that dopey face. He didn't stand a chance. There was no way in hell that Uraraka would…

He grit his teeth and dropped his fist, unaware of the spectators watching his conflict.

There was just no way that Uraraka would choose him. He wasn't good enough.

He closed his eyes and fought for his composure but he was grasping at straws. How had a girl fucked with him this much? How had she managed to creep into his mind and more importantly, his heart.

The walk sign began blinking but he didn't notice. He found himself staring at his hands, clenching and unclenching them. Her smile floated through his mind and he finally clenched his fists as tightly as he could.

His heart was a strange concept to consider. The better word would be foreign. For his entire life, it had been still and cold. It beat mightily in the heat of battle and beat unnoticed in his silent apartment. But recently it had began to beat in a different way. It felt warm and alive. It was loud and rampant in his chest at the most inopportune times. He had felt things he'd never felt before. It constricted with a smile and sped up at a smart remark. Her smile and her remarks.

But now… His heart just hurt.

Finally, he noticed his fingers were white with stress and he released his fists. The sound of the city crept in and drowned out the sound of the beating in his chest. What does he do now?

There was no doubt in his mind that Uraraka and Deku were making up at this moment. That fucking nerd was probably saying everything that she wanted to hear and winning her back. It made him want to puke. Deku didn't deserve her either.

"Damn that fucking nerd!" Bakugo spat the words out without realizing it. He straightened up sharply and glared as the walk sign turned back to a red light. He'd been so caught up in his own self-pity that he missed the damn light. Of course.

"Kacchan?"

Bakugo whipped his head around and met one face he was not expecting to see. Deku was a few meters away, holding his cellphone in one hand. The blonde tensed up aggressively at the sight.

Deku was surprised to see Bakugo looking so upset. The blonde had clearly smashed the button for the crosswalk on the intersection pole and he had a scowl so deep that it could stick. "Are you okay?"

"What the fuck are you doing here, Deku?" Bakugo's tone was dripping with malice. "Shouldn't you be kissing Uraraka's ass right now?"

"Uraraka?" Deku blinked. He'd never heard Bakugo refer to her by her real name. "She uh… She didn't want to talk."

Bakugo paused at the statement. He was shocked, actually. "What the fuck do you mean that she didn't want to talk? She never shuts up!"

Deku looked away sharply, "Well… She didn't really want to talk to me, I guess." The green-haired hero slowly slipped his cell into his pocket and began fumbling with his hands. "I thought that I could fix things if I came here."

Bakugo felt his heart beat in his chest. It was a small thump but it was warm. It was a hopeful thud. "You're an even bigger dumbass every time I see you."

"Dumbass?" Deku bit back unexpectedly, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"What," Bakugo threw a hand up mockingly, "You thought that some flowers and a fucking stuffed animal could fix the shit you broke? That's an insult to Uraraka."

Deku raised his eyebrows questioningly, "What are you saying, Kacchan? You're acting kind of-"

"Uraraka isn't that fucking shallow, Deku." Bakugo snapped harshly. "She's stronger than you care to give her credit for. And Kirishima says that I'm the fucking stupid one. I think it's crystal fucking clear who the idiot is."

"Hey," Deku cut in, "I didn't just hope that I could solve my problems with Uraraka by buying her cheap gifts. They were an apology."

Bakugo rolled his eyes through his scowl, "A cheap one. You said it yourself."

"Alright, what is going on?" Deku's expression looked suspicious and confused, "What's the deal with you and Uraraka? I deserve to know."

Bakugo stalked toward Deku with a cold look, "There is no deal with Uraraka and I. We're coworkers. But my feelings toward you are the same, Deku." Bakugo spat his name out of his mouth with all the malice he could attain, "You don't deserve her."

Deku watched as Bakugo came to a halt before him. He stared unafraid into the blonde's intense gaze, "Everything I do is for Uraraka. For us. You wouldn't know what that's like, would you Bakugo?"

"Don't make me laugh, Deku." Bakugo ignored the insult easily, "Everything you do is for yourself and you sure as hell know it. You could tell yourself it's for her until you're blue in the face, but the fact never changes. You're like me. All you care about is that number one slot. Everything else comes second, even Uraraka."

"That's not true!" Deku insisted hastily, his own voice raising a few notches.

"All you do is take from her!" Bakugo snapped back, "She gave up everything for you. Her future, her ranking, her ambitions. And then you left. Don't pretend to be a saint when you cost her so much. And don't disrespect her while she's trying to fix it. Maybe she's just finally fed up with you sucking her dry."

"I love her," Deku sounded devastated as the words passed his lips. "I'd die for her."

Bakugo glowered at his former classmate, "If you loved her then you wouldn't have left her. You would have given her everything she wanted and deserved."

"Why are you saying all of this?" Deku grimaced at the harsh words. "It's not like you to care about anyone, especially us."

Bakugo was surprised with himself. Was it him that had said all those things? Deku wasn't wrong but… "I'm not blind, Deku. Especially when you fuck up." That's more like it.

Deku gaped at him for a moment, "You haven't changed at all, have you Kacchan?"

"Changed?" Bakugo asked with a hostile tone.

"You're still as cruel today as you were when we were kids." Deku backed away a few steps before finally turning and walking away.

Bakugo watched his ex-classmate's retreat. He mulled over Deku's last words and shook his head. Once again, Deku was the moron. Bakugo had changed and he was seeing it now for the first time. He could give Uraraka everything she wanted and deserved and he felt his heart warm up again. Perhaps he was good enough for her.

* * *

Uraraka was curled up on her bed crying by the time that Mina and Tsu showed up. Not a few tears here and there or even a steady stream. No, she was ugly crying.

"Oh, Uraraka…" Mina whispered after they'd come in through the unlocked front door.

Tsu followed as the pink girl led the way into the bedroom, "Are you alright, Ochako?"

"No…" She barely whimpered the word out and she clutched the pillow tighter in her lap.

"Shh," Mina came around the side of the bed to hug her, "We're here for you."

Tsu sat down on the bed in front of Uraraka, her tongue peeking out as she spoke, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"He went through my emails!" Uraraka blurted out, digging her fingernails into the pillow. "And he… he…" She sniffed exasperatedly. "He…"

"It's okay," Tsu patted her on the leg, "We're here to listen." She caught Mina as the pink girl looked down at Uraraka regretfully. Perhaps Mina knew more than she was letting on.

"Yeah," Mina hugged the brunette tighter. "You can tell us anything."

Uraraka rubbed her cheeks with the backs of her hands, "I stayed at Bakugo's place last night," She sniffed heartily, "And he walked me home this morning. But when we got here…" She threw her hands up defeatedly, not knowing what to say.

Mina tossed Tsu a look not to press the many questions that they both had about Bakugo. "What happened when you got here?"

"Deku thought that I'd cheated on him," She shook her head fiercely in Mina's arms, "With Bakugo."

Tsu blinked but her expression didn't give away the all important question, "Did you?"

"Asui!" Mina scolded immediately. "Of course she didn't!"

Uraraka shook her head in agreement, "It was an accident…"

The two other girls froze up but only Tsu was able to speak, "What was an accident?"

Uraraka blinked her fresh tears away and glanced between Mina and Tsu. Both girls were staring at her intently, "No, I didn't… I locked myself out of my apartment last night! Bakugo just let me stay at his. We didn't-"

Mina visibly relaxed, "Oh okay."

Uraraka sniffed her nose again and pushed her pink friend off. "Did you guys really think I'd… I'd cheat on Deku?"

"Of course not," Tsu shook her head, her tongue dropped a little further away from her mouth.

"It's just the way you said 'accident' that had us kind of worried," Mina circled around the bed to sit beside the brunette. "What happened after that?"

"I told him to leave," Uraraka sniffed hard, her tears beginning to dry up on her cheeks. "And he did."

Mina reached out and took one of Uraraka's hands, "Oh, you poor girl."

The brunette slumped her face into the pillow, "What do I do?"

Tsu thought it over for a minute, "Do you want to make up with Deku?"

"I don't know," She forced the words out through the pillow. "I'm just so…" She sat up and groaned, "I'm so mad at him. He was so desperate to find me that he went through my computer."

Mina hissed at that statement, "That's right, I forgot about that. Why would he need to do that?"

"Exactly," Uraraka sniffled and straightened up a bit. "And he didn't even say that he was sorry. He was so concerned about Bakugo that he didn't answer any of my questions."

Both Mina and Tsu were troubled by this. In their eyes, Deku had been good to Uraraka and they'd always adored them as a couple. But on the other hand, they had never seen Uraraka so upset.

"So he just accused you right away," Mina mumbled the words out quietly.

Tsu frowned a little as Uraraka nodded, "That doesn't really sound like Deku. Normally he would want to hear you out before he jumped to accusations."

Uraraka laughed tiredly, "I tried to explain but he just kept asking so many questions… I just couldn't take it anymore so I made him leave."

"He's probably just as torn up as you about this," Tsu responded after she'd let Uraraka's reply hang in the air for a minute. "I bet he feels terrible."

"He better," Mina quipped as she rubbed the brunette's hand. "What a shallow thing for him to think. I could understand if it was anybody else, but Uraraka? He'd have to be crazy to think she'd cheat."

"I think you should talk to him," Tsu ignored the pink girl's callous comments. "At least try to work it out. This all sounds like a huge misunderstanding to me."

Uraraka sniffed for another minute, "Maybe you're right, Tsu. I'll call him tomorrow."

"I think that's a good idea." Tsu nodded and patted her friend's leg. "Maybe you should change out of this dress. Have you had anything to eat?"

The brunette shook her head and watched as her black-haired friend stood up.

"I'll go make you some breakfast," Tsu nodded toward Mina, "You two just relax, okay?"

Mina nodded in return before Tsu disappeared. The pink girl helped Uraraka to her feet and waited for Uraraka to change before she hugged the brunette again. "I'm really sorry, Uraraka. I know you're having a really hard time."

"I'll live," Uraraka shrugged and she pulled on the bottom of the blue shirt she'd changed into. "I should have known better than to stay at Bakugo's last night. Maybe this wouldn't have happened."

"About Bakugo," Mina pulled Uraraka back over to sit on the bed. "I kind of had a hand in that…"

The brunette blinked with a questioning gaze, "What do you mean?"

"I uh," Mina chewed on her lip for a moment, "I probably shouldn't tell you this but I would regret it if I didn't."

Uraraka tilted her head, worry taking its place on her face. "Tell me what, Mina?"

The pink girl sighed defeatedly before finally meeting Uraraka's inquisitive gaze, "Listen, Kirishima and I have known for a while that Bakugo has a sort of… Crush on you. So he and I might have gone a little too far when we sent him after you last night."

Uraraka was shocked, "Wha- What? He has a- What?"

"A crush," Mina finished for her friend. "I've always thought Bakugo was a huge jerk and totally wrong for you but now… Well, I think Kirishima might have been right."

"Hang on," Uraraka waved her hands in front of her face, "That can't be right. Bakugo having a crush? On me? That's crazy!"

Mina shook her head softly, "Kirishima and I sent him after you last night, so it's partially my fault that you ended up staying at his apartment."

"No," Uraraka breathed, "No way. Bakugo doesn't like anybody so why would he like me? That doesn't make any sense."

"Uraraka," Mina grasped the brunette by the shoulders, "Focus, girl. It's not a big deal, okay? It's just a crush. If you don't like him, then it doesn't matter, right?"

Uraraka slouched and furrowed her eyebrows. This was big news to her. There's was just no way that Bakugo could like her. Even if he did, how could she tell?

Well, he had been acting a little bit different. He'd apologized to her on more than one occasion, in fact, he'd even bought her dinner. On top of that, he'd allowed her to stay at his apartment last night. He'd complimented her on the dress she was wearing. Did all this mean that he does like her? The better question was did she like him? Her head swam with the questions.

"Are you okay?" Mina asked quietly as she looked into Uraraka's darkening eyes.

The brunette bit her lip and gently shook her head, "This is…" She struggled to find the words she wanted to say. "Bakugo? No way. He's cold and rude. He's always been that way."

"So, what then?" The pink girl tilted her head slightly.

"I just don't really believe you," Uraraka shrugged. "He's the last person I would think of having a crush on me. It just doesn't seem like something he would do."

Mina sighed and looked Uraraka dead in the eyes, "I'm really sorry for not telling you sooner, Uraraka. Bakugo is a difficult guy and trust me, his feelings are just as complex. But if you're not happy with Deku anymore…"

"I'm going to work things out with Deku," Uraraka cut the pink girl off. "I just can't… I can't let all that time and effort go down the drain." The brunette rubbed her forehead at the thought. "I have to try."

Mina blinked at the response for a moment before nodding, "Alright then. Is there anything we can do to help you? I hate seeing you like this."

"No…" Uraraka groaned the word out. "I think he and I need to try and work it out on our own."

Mina patted the brunette on the shoulders as Tsu returned with breakfast, "Well we're always here for you. You know that right?"

"I do," Uraraka nodded at her two friends. "Thanks guys."

The three girls left the subject alone after that. Mina and Tsu focused on lifting Uraraka's spirits by other means while Uraraka wrestled with her mind and heart. The afternoon fell into evening and finally, the other two girls had to get going.

When Uraraka was alone again, she felt the crushing weight of her dilemma. Could she and Deku find a worthwhile balance and repair their broken relationship? It felt like an impossible task. She dabbled with solutions in her mind as she sunk into her couch.

One option she had was to explain all of her frustrations and hope that Deku could change. If only he could realize how capable she is, then maybe he'd stop worrying over the smallest details of her life. But how could she prove it to him? Should she have to?

The other option was to accept that Deku was just like this. He'll always be concerned about her and maybe she had misplaced his worry. Perhaps he acted like this out of love, not disrespect. It was the more practical option, honestly. She probably will never be able to change Deku in such a drastic way, so why try and force it?

But her other problem was the new information she'd received about Bakugo. It was news that was not only hard to hear but also hard to digest. Why would he take an interest in her? Even he had told her that she wasn't anything special. Despite how strange it was, Uraraka couldn't help her curiosity. What would dating Bakugo be like?

He would undoubtedly whip her into shape, he practically lived at the agency's gym. But how would he behave emotionally? Was he a cuddler? Probably not. Would he still give her grief about everything under the sun? That was a guarantee. However she thought about it, she could help but smile at the hilarity of it. It was a very interesting concept.

But there was one big question that still remained unanswered. What is there to love about Bakugo?

He was a stubborn jerk with an ego that hardly managed to fit through a door. He was crude and harsh, but he only demanded the best from his peers. He used his anger and vulgar language to spur a reaction out of everyone that stepped in his way but he always left her with a feeling of wonder.

He was determined and strong. He knew his priorities and his goals were clearly marked. He'd developed into someone more than just the angry kid he was in high school. He was an inspiration and a motivator to win at everything. He was truly a hero.

She frowned at herself. What was she thinking? Bakugo wouldn't know love if it hit him in the face, right? Would he really be capable of giving her something that Deku couldn't?

She planted a couch pillow over her face and groaned. She had a lot of thinking to do tonight.

* * *

Bakugo hadn't returned home yet. Something about his apartment felt tainted now and he couldn't bring himself to go back. He'd wandered the city all day, ignoring the pesky pedestrians that clogged the sidewalks of downtown Tokyo.

He was still angry. He couldn't get the events of last night and this morning out of his mind. It was a tiresome squabble in his mind. What does he do now? He'd contemplated asking Kirishima but he knew he'd regret that decision. After all, that dumbass had told him he was on his own anyway.

He'd considered his mother next but as soon as the idea occurred to him, he'd crammed it back down. There was no way in hell he'd ever take the advice of that hag. He was sure she'd just waste his time.

He was seated inside a coffee shop, one of the few in the city that was slow going and quiet. He had finished his coffee long ago and was no just staring mindlessly out the window. The first sign of sunset was beginning to tint the sky a light pink and he wondered what he should do next.

The fact that Deku had been turned away was an enormous surprise for the blonde that morning. He relished in the fact that the damn nerd had looked so worried. He was curious as to Uraraka's next move. If she would just dump that bastard then maybe…

His phone buzzed on the table, shaking him from his thoughts. He begrudgingly snatched it off the table and was surprised to see a text message from his villian contact.

" _I got what you wanted. Meet me in 15 minutes."_

Bakugo frowned at the cryptic text. Fifteen minutes didn't leave him enough time to get Kirishima as well. He'd have to go alone and Bakugo knew it was a mistake. If his contact had been found out, he'd be in big trouble showing up on his own. But what if it wasn't a trap? This contact had proven useful for quite a while now. He'd been feeding information to Bakugo for almost a year. It seemed like a stretch if he had a change of heart now.

The blonde shifted in his seat for a moment before replying.

" _See you there."_

He stood up sharply and tossed his empty coffee cup in the garbage. He didn't have enough time to go home and get his hero costume, but perhaps that was for the better. He didn't want to draw unnecessary attention to himself. Instead, he exited the shop and headed toward the closest ATM machine. If this information was worth it, then he'd be sure to come through on his promise of a healthy reward.

Once he had his cash and he had sent a warning text to Kirishima, Bakugo headed toward the meeting place. He arrived in the alley and carefully slipped inside, unnoticed by the people walking the sidewalk.

He tucked his hands into the pockets of his jeans as he sauntered toward the noodle house that was marked as their meet-up. As usual, his guy was leaning on the back wall with his hood drawn around his face. Bakugo approached, his eyes glancing around for potential enemies, "You said you got what I wanted?"

There was no response, just a hand that was held out.

"No way," Bakugo scowled. "I want the information first this time."

A pair of green eyes glinted from the shadow of the hood, "I'll make it worth your while." He held his hand out with a more demanding pose.

Bakugo pulled a few bills from his pocket and dropped them into the open palm. "Start talking if you want more."

The figure on the wall tucked the money into his hoodie pocket before a flash of teeth grinned for a split second, "Ev'rybody's talkin about an uprisin'. I guess there's some that think they can do a better job than the big boss so the big boss is comin' to teach 'em a lesson. Dunno where the boss will be but he gets here tomorrow. I'm bettin' on a big fight."

Bakugo's expression didn't show how he felt about this information. Instead, he just retrieved a few more bills. "So the organization is split?"

"Sure is," The informant snatched the cash away, "Alls of us are bein' forced to pick sides. I dunno anythin' else."

The blonde frowned, "That's it? No locations or times?"

The informant shrugged and held out a hand, "Maybe I do, maybe I don't."

Bakugo glared at this greedy villain. This guy was small potatoes compared to most but he had a way of weaseling himself into good information. The money would be worth it. He dug out the last few slips of cash and dropped them into the open palm. "What is it?"

"Not sure when," The shadowy figure tucked the money away with the rest, "But we's all gonna be called to the main warehouse. Headquarters is what you mighta called it. I'm betting the big boss will be there."

Bakugo shifted on his feet, "You'll let me know?"

"For the right price," The figure's eyes glinted again.

The blonde glared back, "We'll discuss your reward when it happens. I've given you plenty for now."

The figure simply nodded before standing upright, "Watch yo' back, Ground Zero. Lotsa deadly guys'll be there. It's gonna be a big old mess. Don't die."

"I won't fuckin' die," Bakugo spat back but heeded the warning. His informants have never warned him to be careful so this was a particularly alarming piece of information. He was less concerned about himself than his coworkers. The death of a coworker was something he tried to avoid at all costs. He'd been through it enough times and he'd be damned if he had to suffer through it again.

The informant nodded and slipped quietly back into the noodle house. Bakugo immediately began walking back toward the street again. If he reported this then the villains may be spooked and he'd miss his chance. The only thing he could do right now was warn the people he trusted.

* * *

 **Hey guys! I know this is a shorter than normal chapter but I really needed to take it easy today. I've had a super long week and I kinda just want to kick back and go on a Code Geass binge for a few hours.**

 **patrewe: Thank you for your super nice review! I love the fact that you love the slow build-up but I'm starting to feel a little bit impatient now, so the fluff is coming :D**

 **Kreshi: Thank you for your review! I hope you like this chapter too!**

 **Clarissa Kirishima: You are so welcome~! Thank you for your super nice review! I hope I will continue to deliver for you! I know this chapter seems a little short and rushed, but it's build-up for the next one! :D**

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 **Penrose Quinn: I missed you lol! Your reviews are so much fun to read and I'm so happy whenever I see yours. Thanks for being so nice to me all the time! I can promise that the next chapter will be longer :D Just for you!**

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 **Okay guys, I know this chapter was short but I had to build it up for the next one. I'll make some time tonight and tomorrow to get that written and hopefully I can have it out to you guys by tomorrow night. I'll make it a little longer than normal as well to make up for the 1,000 word shortage on this chapter. Thanks so much guys!**

 **XOXO**


	15. Chapter 15

Uraraka tapped her fingers worriedly on the table she was seated at. It had taken her all day to muster up the courage to finally call Deku and ask him to meet her. She'd shown up twenty minutes early, hoping it would help relax her, but she was still feeling nervous.

Her eyes darted to the front of the restaurant as the door chimed with a new customer. It wasn't Deku and she was almost ashamed with the relief that flooded her gut. She'd still have a few minutes to gather her thoughts.

She figured that the best way to fixing their relationship was honesty. She couldn't keep her feelings about the situation to herself any longer. She'd have to tell Deku exactly how she felt but that was a far easier task said than done. It was going to be a difficult talk, but it needed to happen for the sake of them as a couple.

A few more minutes passed before a familiar person finally entered the shop. Deku was in relaxed clothes and he looked both concerned and hopeful as he joined her at the table.

"Hey," He smiled weakly at her.

She smiled softly back, "I ordered your drink. I hope that's okay." She restlessly fingered the menu on the tabletop.

"That's perfectly fine," He nodded and acknowledged the uncertain edge of them both. "How are you?"

"I'm well," She nodded a reply, "I'm sorry it took me so long to call, it's just been a crazy weekend…"

"I understand," Deku recognized her awkward demeanor. "Uraraka, I'm really sorry. I should have told you that I was coming. I see now that it was a stupid idea to keep it from you."

She shook her head wildly, "No, you're wrong! I should be apologizing to you. I overreacted when I saw you in my apartment and I should have-"

She was abruptly cut off by their waitress delivering their drinks, "Are you two ready to order?"

"Er…" She stopped her earlier comments and glanced across the table at Deku, "I am, are you?"

Deku blinked at her before his eyes dropped down to the menu, "Well… How about you order first, huh?"

She nodded briefly before slowly reciting her preferred meal, hoping it would give Deku the time he needed to choose. Little did she know, he simply scanned the menu and chose the first thing that jumped out at him. He doubted his anxious stomach could actually hold any food.

The waitress graciously took their orders down before bowing away and retreating to the kitchen.

"Anyway," Uraraka cleared her throat awkwardly, "I don't remember what I was saying."

"It doesn't matter," Deku shook his head. "I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am that I came to Japan without telling you. I just thought that I could surprise you and…" He let the rest of the sentence hang in the air.

Uraraka sipped her water before sighing, "Deku… I wasn't angry that you came to Japan. I was angry for some other reasons."

Her boyfriend blinked at her from across the table, "I know you are. I guess I just can't really see what they are right now."

The brunette chewed on her bottom lip, "Well…" She wasn't sure where to start. "I guess that the biggest problem is that I don't think you really see me as a hero. I don't feel like… Like I have your respect."

"My respect?" Deku's jaw fell open. "Of course you have my respect, Uraraka."

"No," She corrected. "Like, as a hero. You worry about me so much that it makes me think that… That you don't think I'm strong or something. I feel like I'm just some helpless civilian in your eyes, you know?"

Deku paused and drank in her words. They seemed strange coming from her mouth. Uraraka wasn't normally this forthcoming. "You know I don't actually think that, right? You are one of the strongest people I know."

"Yes, I do know." She absentmindedly tipped her spoon on the table, "It's just been hard to remember that with you gone. Maybe it has something to do with me moving here to Tokyo? Or maybe my new agency… Whatever it is, I feel like you're always worrying about me over nothing."

Deku frowned slightly, "So you think I'm being too overprotective?"

She pondered the wording, "I guess that is what I would call it."

He looked down at his silverware, mirroring Uraraka's own gaze. "I can see what you mean. I didn't realize that I was being like that."

"I feel like…" She tried to sort out her thoughts, "I guess I feel like I am also overreacting a little. I mean, you've always been like this, but I just see it more now that you're not here."

Deku nodded slowly and tilted his head up to try and capture her gaze, "Well you're not wrong. I can't help it, I just worry about you all the time. I'm always wondering what you're doing and where you are. I'd be heartbroken if something happened to you while I was…" He choked on the words in his throat. "I just want to know you're safe."

She finally looked away from her silverware to meet his gaze, her own eyes filled with determination. "I can get that but Deku… I am a pro hero. You don't have to worry about me like that. I'm perfectly safe at any time. I'm a big girl, you know? I can take care of myself."

He was silent and nodded at her somewhat icy tone, "I know but I can't help it." He paused to search for a solution, "I don't mean to insult you when I'm asking, I just feel better when I know. Being so far away makes it hard for me and when you're out with everyone from school, I get really freaked out. You've never really been the drinking type so I worry more about you getting home safe."

Uraraka leaned back in her chair and sighed, "That's the other big problem, Deku. The distance. It's so far…"

He met her eyes again, "I know it is. It's just as hard on me as it is you. I can guarantee that."

"It's more than just hard," She tugged on a lock of her hair, "When I wake up, you're going to bed. It's tough to find the time and energy to work around that. I just don't understand why we couldn't just move to Tokyo together instead of you going to America."

Deku gulped and looked down at the table, "I'm regretting it too but I have to finish the job. If I back out now, what does that say about me as a hero?"

"That you have priorities that matter," She replied coolly.

Deku felt his heart constrict at her statement. His mind immediately reverted back to the conversation that he'd had with Bakugo yesterday morning. Bakugo had said basically the same thing. Sometimes there are thing more important than being a hero. Guilt built up in his gut but he had to swallow it, "This opportunity… I just can't let it go right now. I need this experience, Uraraka. I may never have another chance like this one."

"I thought you'd say that," She gave the lock of hair a final tug. "I can't say that I don't understand it."

"Why don't you just come with me?" Deku's tone raised an octave. "We could work together and we'd be able to go back to the way things were with us."

She blinked at his proposal, "And I'll just what? Leave my job and everything else behind?" She felt irritation slowly working it's way up her back. "We've been over this, Deku. My parents… They rely on me for money. There is no way I could match the amount of money I make now in America. My life is here. Our life is here."

"I will help with all of that," Deku urged her to consider the idea.

"No," She shook her head sharply. "I just can't do it, Deku. It's the one thing I'm not willing to give up. I love my job here and I love this city. This is what I've wanted for years and I'm sorry, but I can't put it off for another year again. I'm already too far behind everyone else."

Deku couldn't argue with that. Uraraka rarely said no to anything, especially when it came to them as a couple. But she seemed like she'd changed since he went away. She seemed more confident and self reliant. She'd made it perfectly clear that she was not going to bend on this.

"Okay," Deku nodded weakly. "Then we'll have to just try harder as a couple."

"Deku," She leaned over the table to look at him steadily, "If we're going to make things work, we have to change our habits. I can't keep feeling like I'm having to check in with you like you're my dad. I also have to have equal say in this relationship."

He sighed and nodded, "I'll try to be better, Uraraka. As long as you promise to be smart and not do anything stupid, I will try."

"And you have to have faith in me," She concluded. "If I don't have your confidence-"

"I can do that," Deku breathed the words out before she could finish. "I know you're strong, Uraraka. You make a fine hero."

A smile brushed her lips, "Thank you."

They met eyes for a few more minutes before their food was delivered to them. The topic was inevitably dropped after that and both of them worked toward normalizing their conversation. They still had a boat load of problems to work out, but for now, they would simply share a meal.

* * *

Bakugo walked down the sidewalk to a familiar apartment complex, his duffle bag slung over his shoulder. The evening sun had dropped into dusk and the hot air of the day began to cool to a comfortable temperature.

He adjusted the strap to the bag and grumbled to himself about his situation. After he'd received the tip from his informant, he'd gone straight home and grabbed his hero costume. In the event that his informant contacted him again, he wanted to be ready.

Once he'd climbed the stairs to the floor he needed, he paused at the doorway. He'd avoided this situation long enough and now he had to do what was required of him. He begrudgingly knocked on the door and waited.

"Bakugo?" Uraraka poked her head out of her doorway. "What are you doing here?"

"Is that shitnerd here?" The blonde ignored her question in place of his own.

She furrowed her brows, "No, Deku went back to his hotel to get his stuff. He should be here later."

Bakugo stiffened at her response, "So you two figured your bullshit out, then."

"Er…" She chewed on her lip as she opened her door wider, "Not really, but it's a start. Do you want to come in?"

He frowned as he watched her motion him inside but ducked through the threshold anyway. Once the door was shut behind them, he glanced around the room. Her place was still organized with rag-tag furniture and cheap decorations. The vibrant colors are what irked him the most. What was with this girl and pastel shit?

"So," She started uncertainly, "What's up?" She circled around him toward her kitchenette and began pushing stuff to the side so could sit at her counter.

He ignored her hospitality and chose to stand in his place, "Fucking relax. It's about work."

"Oh," She blinked with wide eyes and realized that he wasn't going to sit. "You couldn't just call me about it?"

Bakugo narrowed his eyes, "I deleted your number."

She huffed irritably and scribbled her number down on a slip of paper for him, "So what is this about?"

"My informant gave up some half decent information," Bakugo scowled in her direction. "Something big is about to go down involving the Mamushi group. Apparently their head viper is in town and is getting ready to deal with some kind of uprising."

"Really?" Uraraka raised her eyebrows in surprise, "I guess that explains the lack of villians in the streets."

"I haven't reported this," Bakugo replied curtly. "I don't want to miss our chance by having all the fucknut heroes in the city looking for them. I want to be the one to take this bastard down." The blonde raised a fist and clenched it tightly. "You and Kirishima are the only ones who know, so keep your phone nearby. This could go down any minute."

Uraraka took a moment to register this, "Well I really think we need to report this, Bakugo. We should at least get Edgeshot looped in, right?"

"I will in the morning," Bakugo snapped back harshly. "I'm not looking to get my ass fired."

Uraraka frowned at him, "You don't have to say it so rudely. I'm just trying to help."

The blonde couldn't stop his heart from skipping in his chest. She looked tired but her testy tone still had the bite it usually did. This might be the only chance he'd get before she finished fixing her shit with Deku. "Uraraka," He started but the words died in his throat.

"Hm?" She hummed and smiled at him as she leaned against her countertop.

Bakugo dropped his duffle bag to the floor and took a bold step in her direction, "I don't give a shit about you and Deku but damn it, you had better know that he'll never fucking change."

Her eyes became round with surprise at the change of topic, "What are you talking about?"

He dared to take a second step, "That fuckin' prick doesn't change. Ever. Don't expect him to be someone he's not. He won't change for anyone, not even you." He deepened his frown as she stared back.

"I know that Deku and I have a lot of things to work out but…" She trailed off as Bakugo took a third and fourth step. What was he doing? Why did he look so determined?

"Like I said," He came within reaching distance of her, "I don't give a shit about you and that fucking nerd." He took a half step closer and looked her dead in the eyes, "But you deserve better than his wannabe ass."

Uraraka could help the faint blush that was beginning to fade onto her cheeks as she looked up at Bakugo. The intensity of his stare made her feel like she was pinned down under it. Her mind seemed to come to a stand still and the only thought that she could make out was the words that Mina had said to her yesterday. Was it true? Did Bakugo truly harbor feelings toward her? He couldn't…

Bakugo wasn't sure if he was swollen with pride or if he'd let it go completely as he took that final step. He was a breath away from her now and he looked down at her. His expression was stoic as he observed her response.

She could feel the furious heat of his person and she found it… Satisfying. It wasn't a heat that felt like a warm hug or a hot coffee cup on a chilly morning. The heat that radiated off Bakugo was violent and inviting at the same time. The space between them felt like a dare.

In the spanse of a second, Bakugo watched Uraraka become timid before him. She stared into his red eyes with cloudy brown ones and she seemed stuck where she was. Her jaw was slanted open just slightly and he could hardly make out the blush on her cheeks, but it was there.

He moved quickly and snatched her slack jaw, relishing in her shock. He gruffly pushed it shut but held his hand in place, "You look like a fucking deer in the headlights, roundface." He couldn't hide the smug smirk on his lips.

She seemed to snap out of her frozen state and after a moment of delay, she hardened her eyes at him, "You can't do things like that, Bakugo." She slapped his hand away from her chin, "It's just rude." She looked away and let her hair cover the ever-darkening blush.

Bakugo didn't hesitate before grabbing at her chin again and jerking her face back into his view, "I'm always rude." His eyes darted to her reddened cheeks. "I thought you'd have learned that by now."

"Stop." She slapped his hand away again with a forceful tone. "What are you doing?" Her blush didn't disappear but her eyelids dropped with her warning expression.

He let his hand hang in the air, a few inches away from her face. He didn't know how to answer her question. In fact, he doubted he had an answer at all. He'd never been good with words so he'd always chosen action. But right now, there wasn't an action that he could do so he simply stared at her.

Bakugo's intense gaze made Uraraka feel like she was melting under it. It was severe and demanding, but she fought for her demeanor. She needed to push back and his lack of response was not helping her resolve.

"Is there something you want to say?" She pushed the words past her lips and she was thankful that her tone was even. In fact, it sounded demanding.

Bakugo didn't respond for a while longer. He just held her gaze and savored the burning fight in her eyes. This was the Uraraka that he found most tantalizing. It wasn't often that he'd been able to see it. Fleeting moments here and there she would say something that presented him with a genuine challenge. This was the most he'd ever seen of it.

Finally, he jerked his hovering hand back and snatched the slip of paper with her phone number off the countertop, "You wish I did." He removed himself from her proximity and showed her his back, "Be ready for a fight, roundface. Count yourself fucking lucky that I even considered you for this." He snatched his duffle bag from the floor and turned to look at her somewhat flustered state, "In fact, you should be thanking me."

She hid her trembling hands behind her back as he looked back at her from his new position by the door, "What was that just now?" She prayed that she didn't sound hollow.

The blonde's expression didn't change and remained hardened, "It should be obvious, Uraraka. Not even you could be that fucking blind." He slung the bag over his shoulder and propped her front door open, "See you tomorrow."

She watched as the door shut behind him and she stared at it with a dumbfounded expression. Countless different emotions clouded her heart at the same time and her trembling hands flew up to clutch her chest. What just happened?

* * *

Deku took the long way back to Uraraka's apartment. He'd checked out of his hotel and he found himself walking the entire way there. He had a lot of thoughts in his mind and he needed some more time to sort them out before he saw her again.

Uraraka seemed different.

Something about her had changed but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. She'd been brutally honest at dinner when they discussed their relationship but he couldn't just chalk that up to her being sincere about their future. No, she had been harsh and unapologetic about it.

Her smile was also different. When he first arrived, it was forced. After they'd talked, it had looked unfulfilled and finally after they'd planned to meet at her apartment that night, it felt like a fake. Like a shell of the smile he was used to seeing when he'd come home after a long day at work.

Uraraka was also the touchy type but she hadn't laid a finger on him since he'd arrived in Japan. She'd kept her hands to herself at dinner and even as they made their plans outside the restaurant, she'd kept a distance. Was it because she was nervous or because she was uncomfortable? Possibly both and possibly neither.

Deku's wonder was slowly evolving into concern as he looked down at the sidewalk. He was nearly there now and he was trying to quash the questions in his mind. He needed to appear normal around her and hopefully they wouldn't have to rehash their dinner conversation.

"Fucking seriously?" A voice growled ahead of him. "Again?"

Deku's eyes snapped up and he was faced with the person he was least enthused to see, "Kacchan."

Bakugo was glaring at him with the same fervor as he had the day before, "I'm not doing this shit again." The blonde tucked his hands in his pockets and moved to go around Deku.

"Wait!" Deku grabbed Bakugo by the arm. "Were you just at Uraraka's?"

Bakugo shook his ex-classmate off and glowered, "Fucking touch me again and see what happens, fuckwad."

"Answer the question, Kacchan." Deku didn't cower away from the threat but dropped his hand. "What are you doing out here?"

The blonde clearly wanted no part of this but he spat out a response, "None of your damn business, nerd. It's work related," Bakugo leaned forward menacingly, "And that's not exactly your purview anymore is it?"

"It is if it involves Uraraka," Deku held his ground, braving the storm that was Bakugo.

"Tch," Bakugo scoffed at the other man's bold reply, "You prove my point again, Deku. You'll never fucking change."

Deku was rarely irritable but he couldn't stop the annoyance building in his gut, "You're one to talk, Kacchan. Why are you so focused on me changing? What do you know that I don't?"

"All I know about you is one thing," Bakugo turned on his heel to face Deku fully. "You're the fucking thorn in my side that I can't get rid of."

Deku hardened his gaze, "You know what I mean, Kacchan."

Bakugo scowled at his former friend and classmate, "Are you hard of hearing, Deku? I've already said every fucking thing that I wanted to say to you yesterday. I'm done wasting my time here." The blonde turned around again to walk away.

"Are you in love with her?" Deku asked suddenly, dreading the reply. He watched as Bakugo halted midstep and went rigid.

"She's all yours, Deku." The words came out in a low tone. "For as long as you can keep her."

Deku's stomach dropped as he watched Bakugo begin walking away again. He'd been suspecting this since yesterday but the blonde's response did little to confirm it. If what he suspected was the truth, he still didn't know if he could reasonably label Bakugo as a threat to his relationship.

Deku waited until the blonde was out of sight before he continued his walk toward Uraraka's. She had mentioned that she and the Bakugo were friends but surely Uraraka would never take any sort of liking to him. Bakugo was so far away from everything that Uraraka claimed she wanted in a partner. He was rude, unforgiving, and most importantly, unapologetic about the first two. And he was absorbed with being the top hero so much that he left little room for other pleasures. No, there was no way Uraraka would want that.

But on the off chance that is what she wanted, how would he know? How could he surmise that she was having a change of heart? Surely there would be signs. But how could he distinguish signs like that against the difficulties of their relationship? Would they be different or the same?

He shook his head hard as he trudged up the stairs to her apartment. He needed to rid himself of these thoughts. Perhaps he was overthinking all of this… Uraraka had told him that he needed to worry less. He needed to listen to that advice if he wanted to fix this.

He let himself into her apartment and found her drawing a bath, "Hey," He waved shyly as she exited the bathroom to grab a fresh towel.

"Hey," She smiled a small smile and pulled a towel out of a cupboard. "I was just going to take a quick bath. I won't be very long."

"You're fine," Deku waved his hand and his eyes wandered the room. "I'm sure I can find something to do for a while."

"Alright," Uraraka nodded and tiptoed back to her bedroom and shut the bathroom door behind her.

Deku wandered over to her couch to sit down and noticed that her laptop was not in it's usual spot on the coffee table. Curiously, he glanced around the room but didn't see it. Had she hidden it from him? Perhaps he deserved that.

His eyes caught on her pink duffle bag that was set on one of her kitchen barstools. It looked like it was recently touched and had been haphazardly opened. He found himself going to check it out and found that her hero costume had been shoved into the bag messily and all of her extra equipment had been thrown on top.

He reached down to feel the fabric of the suit and found it damp, like it hadn't finished drying before she tossed it in. Would this have to do with the work related thing that Bakugo had mentioned? Whatever it was, it didn't appear very Uraraka-like. Normally she was very organized and she always neatly folded her costume before putting it away. It felt like organization had been an afterthought this time. Perhaps Uraraka was just as stressed as he was about this entire situation and hadn't paid any mind to her normal habits.

Deku finally opted to ignore the mess and moved to go sit on her sofa. He switched on the television to distract himself. Uraraka always took long baths, so he had some time to kill.

On the other end of the apartment, Uraraka was as still as stone in her bath. She was neck deep in the water as she tended to her frayed nerves.

Deku was inside her apartment while she was thinking about someone else. Her boyfriend was the second thing on her mind and that was more unsettling than her entire encounter with Bakugo.

Her hand moved under the water to touch her chin. Bakugo had grabbed it so urgently and had held it with such a tight grip. It didn't hurt or sting but it ached from the touch. His skin had been rough and his grasp even more so. He'd commanded the situation with nothing more than his presence and had easily decimated her resolve.

His red eyes flashed in her mind and she shuttered at their memory, the bath water rippling around her. They'd been so clear yet so guarded as they looked straight through her and the heat of his body had been intoxicating. The entire event had been out of her control.

She ran her thumb over her chin again and blew some bubbles in the water. She didn't want to admit it but she had enjoyed it. She hadn't missed the excitement in his eyes when she'd finally told him to stand down. It was that push and pull of their relationship that she was sure Bakugo liked the most and that she too was beginning to like.

She searched for a word to describe it and she blushed at her realization. It had been a growing flirtation between them. The apologies, the dance, and the staying at his apartment. All these things were symptoms of the blossoming affection. Her heart began to flutter in her chest.

She sharply sat up in the bath, the water sloshing around her. No. She couldn't think like this. Her heart belonged to someone else. She had made a commitment and she needed to stick to it.

She knew how Bakugo felt but she squashed any reciprocated feelings down deep, locking them away in her heart. The very thought of them was a betrayal to Deku and he deserved better than that. A lustful feeling was not real and she slapped that very label on Bakugo in her heart. What she had with Deku was very real and very well seasoned. It was familiar and comfortable so she wouldn't dare herself to stray from that.

She needed to confirm her thoughts and immediately set to shaving her legs. There was only one real way to do that. Perhaps this would help her forget the wretched desires of her heart and replace them with something wholesome.

A long time had passed before she finally emerged from the bathroom and slipped into the living room. Deku broke his gaze from the television to settle on her with a dropped jaw. "What is this?"

Uraraka simply kicked her bedroom door open wider and motioned for him to come in. She hoped that he couldn't see the tremble of her fingers as she waved him over and finally disappeared from his sight.

As soon as Deku entered the room, she was standing beside her bed. She stood still as he slowly walked over, his eyes looking her up and down. "This is…" He finally reached her and he pulled slightly on the strap of her pink nightgown. "I haven't seen this thing in a long time."

"Not since our anniversary," Uraraka breathed the words out quietly as she let him finger the white lace lining the top.

"That's right," Deku nodded and met her eyes. "Why now?"

She felt herself shrink at the question, "Do you really need an answer?" The truth was that she simply couldn't tell him.

He shook his head slightly before he tenderly brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. "You look so beautiful," He finally tilted his head down to kiss her.

As soon as their lips met, she was horribly disappointed. The magic that his kiss usually had felt dismal and incomplete. It felt like a plain kiss instead of the fireworks she wanted. In a desperate need for more, she gripped his shirt and pulled him into her.

"Woah," Deku broke the kiss and stumbled forward, "Why are you in such a hurry?"

She didn't reply but instead used her grip on his shirt to pull him back down to her lips. Thankfully, he didn't bother her with it further and finally settled his hands on her hips gently.

She staggered backward onto the bed, never breaking their kiss as they did. Her hands released their grip and began working on peeling the shirt off but Deku stopped her.

"Hey," He whispered and met her eyes, "We don't have to do this if you don't want to." He brushed a lock of hair from her eyes. "I don't want you to feel pressured."

She sighed loudly, "Deku, you're getting laid. Do you really want to ruin that?"

"I'm just saying-" He started cautiously but was silenced when Uraraka pulled his shirt over his head and yanked him back down by the shoulders to another kiss.

This time, she didn't let him pull back again. She begged his lips for more and more but not even his hands were that creative with the turn ons. He clumsily palmed her and she was left feeling disappointed. Where was the fire? Had their sex always been this boring?

Finally, she pushed him off and huffed, "We need to stop."

"Stop?" Deku rolled over on the bed and sat up. "I thought you wanted this."

She closed her eyes and pulled on the end of the nightgown, "I do, it's just not…" She was unable to finish her sentence.

Deku tilted his head, "Uraraka, what is it? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," She breathed and shut her eyes tightly. "I just can't get… Turned on."

They were both quiet for a while before Deku retrieved his shirt from the space between them and sighed, "Let's just go to bed, okay? I think we're both just tired."

Uraraka felt a tear in her eyes but she willed it not to come to fruition. It was the same thing that Deku had said countless times over the years. They'd had this problem before but this time, his excuse didn't feel good enough. She was a bundle of nervous energy that wanted nothing more than to get busy. She wasn't tired, she was unfulfilled and upset.

She finally nodded once the tears began to dry up and went to change into her normal sleeping clothes. She peeled the nightgown off and stared at it in her hands. When she'd first worn this for him, it had created a magical and pleasant memory. Now, it was nothing more than that. It was just a sliver of her memories with Deku that she had tried to recreate. Unfortunately, it hadn't had the effect that she had hoped for.

She tried desperately to ignore the anchor that had settled in her stomach as she climbed into the bed beside Deku. There was little chance she was going to get restful sleep tonight.

"I love you, Uraraka." Deku mumbled after a while.

She was silent for a few moments before she finally forced the words out, "I love you too." She knew that they were words that were losing their validity. Fixing this relationship was going to be so much harder than she thought.

* * *

 **Hey guys! So sorry for the long wait but I had a few things come up last night so I couldn't finish writing this chapter until today. But you're all so amazing that I'm sure you'll understand.**

 **Anyway, we have some real progress now! I'm so happy and I think I managed to achieve what I set out to do with this chapter. I hope you all enjoy it and I'm SO EXCITED for the chapters to come!**

 **DarkAngel1324: Thank you so much! I'm glad to see another newcomer and I'm so grateful for your review! I hope you enjoyed this chapter too!**

 **patrewe: *wink wink* yes it is lol. Hopefully this chapter will get you more excited for what is to come! Thank you for your review :D**

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 **xXBrittyBabeXx: Whenever I see your username the first thing that comes to my mind is Britney Spears saying "It's Britney, bitch" and I can't help but laugh. I'm glad you mentioned the villains because they're going to play a very important role xD Thanks for your review!**

 **Guest: I was waiting for someone to give me a review like this but I guess I'm fortunate that it took this long lol. I've been struggling with that for a while now and I wasn't sure how to fix it. Hopefully this chapter helps clear that up a bit but it's a little late to change what I've already written. I just hope you still enjoy this enough to review! A writer should never turn away a good critic :) Thank you!**

 **Penrose Quinn: My, my, you are an observant one! I knew I'd get some people that would wonder if Deku would finally learn what was going on but I was waiting on this chapter to arrive before he'd finally have it. You'll just have to wait a little longer to learn about the villains, I guess :D Thanks for the review!**

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* * *

 **Phew! There were so many reviews to get to! My exit notes are getting a little long! I hope you guys don't mind it, I just like thanking all of you for your time and support. My little conversations with you guys give me life to write this story and so many of you help inspire future chapters. I'll get my nose to the grindstone again and keep pumping out chapters for you all. THANK YOU!**

 **XOXO**


	16. Chapter 16

Bakugo had no doubt in his mind that Kirishima would be full of shit on Monday morning and he was right. The blonde had barely been able to sit down at his desk chair before that smug red-headed dick was at his door.

"From what I hear, you've had a hell of a weekend," Kirishima grinned knowingly.

"Shut the fuck up before I murder you," Bakugo growled the words out and aggressively tried to turn on his computer.

Kirishima was unfazed as he casually meandered into Bakugo's office, "I'm curious about something… What side of the bed does Uraraka sleep on?" He nonchalantly sat down in the only other chair and kicked his feet up on the desk.

The blonde gripped his computer mouse so tightly that it threatened to break, "I swear, I'm not fucking around about killing you."

"Chill the hell out, dude." Kirishima didn't flinch as Bakugo roughly shoved his feet from their perch on the desk. "I'm just looking to get your side of the story."

"So now you're interested?" Bakugo scowled harshly at the red-head. "You didn't seem to give a shit at the party."

"Well," Kirishima weighed the words in his mind before replying, "You were being kind of an ass that night so you can't deny that you had it coming."

Bakugo scoffed snidely at his friend and turned his glare back to his computer screen, "It doesn't fucking matter anyway. That damn nerd is back."

"I heard," Kirishima's gaze dropped onto the predictable knick-knacks on Bakugo's desk. "What are you going to do about that?"

Bakugo seemed to snap at that question. He gruffly shoved himself away from his desk and his chair whined in response, "What the fuck am I supposed to do about that shit? I fucking made things clear for Uraraka but she didn't seem interested."

"I don't know about that," Kirishima fished his phone out of his pocket and unlocked it. "Check out what Mina texted me this morning." He tossed the phone over to the blonde and smiled greedily.

Bakugo caught the phone with a single hand and glared at the screen. Mina had sent screenshots of a conversation to the red-head earlier in the morning. "The fuck is this shit?"

"Damn it, Bakugo." Kirishima rubbed his forehead with closed eyes, "Just read them."

Bakugo frowned but scrolled back to the first screenshot. He scanned through the conversation between acid-freak and Uraraka.

Uraraka: Mina, I really need your help.

Mina: Talk to me.

Uraraka: I'm freaking out! Deku and I tried to do the "you know" last night, but I made him stop. This is so embarrassing! What do I even say to him?!

Mine: Timeout, girl. You made him stop? Why? What happened?

Uraraka: Well we talked things through last night (sorta) and I just thought it would help. But ever since you told me that thing on Saturday, it's all I can think about! It super doesn't help that Bakugo showed up last night and made everything waaay worse!

The blonde bristled at that text but Kirishima predicted it and urged him forward, "Just keep reading, man."

Mina: omg gurl WHAT? What did he want?!

Uraraka: He said it was about work (and it was) but he was super broody and stuff. Honestly, I thought he was going to kiss me. I'm super freaked out!

Mina: NO WAY. I do not believe you. Is that why you and Deku didn't do the deed?

Uraraka: I think so. Yes.

At this point, Bakugo knew he shouldn't keep reading. This was a complete invasion of Uraraka's privacy and although he may be a jerk sometimes, he wasn't a nosy one. "I don't want to see this fucking shit, Kirishima." He tossed the phone back.

"Did you read all of it?" Kirishima clumsily caught the phone and looked down. "You didn't even get halfway!"

"I don't want to," Bakugo bit back rudely. "It's none of my damn business."

Kirishima seemed to accept Bakugo's answer but wasn't about to let it go, "Look man, I can respect that but she's clearly-"

"Fucking quit it, Kirishima." Bakugo interrupted the redhead. "You're the one that said you were going to butt out of this, so fucking do it."

"Fine." Kirishima stuck his chin up in the air as he shot out of his chair. "I guess you're just going to have to find a new patrol partner for today."

"That's the best news I've gotten in a week," Bakugo didn't even bother to meet Kirishima's gaze. "I'm already sick of seeing your ugly as hell face."

Kirishima smirked as he turned to leave, "Oh, I probably should mention that Uraraka is the only other person free for patrol today. Good luck!" The red-head dashed out the door with a cackle.

Bakugo grimaced at the news. Of fucking course Kirishima had been playing a different game all along. That fucker was getting too wise for his own good and Bakugo snatched a sticky note to write himself a reminder to kill that son of a bitch.

Just as he stuck the note to the bottom of his computer screen, Edgeshot's personal assistant poked her head through the open door, "Erm… Ground Zero?"

Bakugo snapped his furious gaze in her direction, "The fuck do you want, trouty lips?"

She flinched at the remarkably cruel nickname, "Edgeshot said you wanted to see him and his meeting just ended. He's in his office now."

Bakugo blinked for a moment before standing up, "It's about damn time. You'd think that the word 'urgent' would carry some more weight around here."

She didn't give a reply before she scurried off, her heart wrenching over the name he used for her. It was just her luck that the one guy she was sorta crushing on in the office would identify her by her slightly above average sized lips.

Bakugo followed after her without the hurried component. He didn't run anywhere unless it was life or death. He preferred to slouch his way across the building toward Edgeshot's office. Clearly, Edgeshot wasn't in any kind of hurry either so why not?

Once he finally stepped through the tall oak doors, his eyes had to adjust to the dark. Of course it was pitch black in here. Bakugo wasn't surprised in the least. Edgeshot pulled this stunt often enough for the blonde to expect it. He did it with everyone.

Bakugo shut the door behind him and allowed his eyes finish adjusting before stepping further into the carpeted room as quietly as he could. He strained his ears for the slightest sound to give away his boss's location. He wouldn't get duped this time, for sure.

Shiiing!

Bakugo reflexively jerked his torso and head back a few inches in time to see the very slight glimmer of silver whiz past him.

Shing! Shing!

Bakugo dropped to the floor before the next two could hit him and he turned his attention to his left before leaping that way, sparks igniting in his hands. If his calculations were correct, then Edgeshot should be right…

Here.

Bakugo began to work up a small scale explosion, but the light in his palms gave away nothing but empty space. Damn it, he was wrong again!

The lights flicked on before Bakugo had a chance to continue his attack and his eyes had to blink a few times to adjust to the light.

"You almost had me that time," Edgeshot's even tone came from the blonde's left. "You've improved exponentially."

Bakugo turned his head sharply, "Let's fucking go again. This time, I'll kick your ass."

Edgeshot sighed monotonously before wandering over to the lone desk in the center of the room, "You're still the same thick headed kid that I hired on three years ago, Bakugo. Brute force is not always the answer. Stealth is a tool that even you could find useful."

"That's more of your thing," Bakugo grouched about his defeat but he was still kicking himself in his mind. "I tend to do things with a bang."

Edgeshot pulled a notebook from a drawer and scribbled a few notes down, "You need to be lighter on your feet next time." He slammed the book shut and shoved it back into the drawer. "Now, what is it you need?"

Bakugo frowned, "I got a tip from one of my contacts."

Edgeshot didn't give any response but he was clearly listening.

"The leader of the Mamushi group is in Tokyo." Bakugo said the words purposefully, "The head of the snake is here."

The third rank hero had a miniscule reaction this time, "You have my attention."

Uraraka rested her forehead on her desk and groaned about the stack of paperwork she'd left for herself on Friday. Why hadn't she planned better and finished it all on Friday? At least she had the entire day to catch up with her patrol partner absent from work.

She begrudgingly snatched a pen out of her pencil cup and began working through the pile of boring documents. She worked through a good amount requiring signatures before she moved on to the case reports she had before her. With so little for the heroes in Tokyo to do recently, the agencies dotting the country had been sending them cases to review and provide feedback.

Uraraka couldn't help but chuckle as she opened a case file from her old agency. On the top of the file folder was a sticky note with Bombshell's handwriting.

"Uravity! We miss you and hope you're kicking butt in the big city! We could definitely use your eyes on this case though…"

She flipped through some photographs and statements with a faint smile on her lips. She missed the blonde hero and their daily banter. Bombshell really was a privilege to work with and perhaps Uraraka could pay her a visit sometime soon.

She was so enveloped in the case notes that she didn't even notice that anyone else had come through the open door and into her office. She jumped a little in her chair when the sound of more paperwork was dropped on her pile.

"Wha-" She breathed at the now doubled stack. "What's this for?"

Bakugo simply stared down at her with his usual frown, "If you're just going to sit around on your ass all day, then you can handle some extra work."

"I don't think that's how this is supposed to work," She pulled up a few of the pages he'd dropped on the desk and frowned, "Are these yours?"

The blonde's expression didn't change, "Yeah, so either get to work or find a patrol partner."

"My partner is not here today," She gave him an unimpressed look, "So take those back and go. Can't you see I have enough to do on my own?"

"You're in luck, roundface," Bakugo grouched back. "I don't have a patrol partner either."

She paused to meet his annoyed gaze, "No." She replied with a short tone.

"I don't take no as an answer," Bakugo spat back. "Don't fucking lie, roundface. You're dying to get out of the office too."

Uraraka folded her arms and leaned back in her chair, "Well, it depends. Did you talk to Edgeshot?"

"Of course I fucking did," Bakugo rolled his eyes.

Uraraka paused and waited for him to continue, "And?"

"And what?" Bakugo's tone was laced with irritation.

"What's the plan?" Uraraka ran a hand down her face.

The blonde watched her grow frustrated with his unwillingness to elaborate further, "If you want more information, you'll have to be outside in ten fucking minutes."

She rolled her eyes for the second time. He really must be antsy to get out of the office if he was bribing her with information. She needed a big break in Tokyo so she pushed her pride aside for the sake of not being excluded from the mission. "Whatever."

Bakugo didn't bother to change his expression as he marched out of her office and down the hall. As soon as he entered his own office, he smirked. That bastard Kirishima still had his back.

Uraraka huffed a sigh as the blonde left before she shoved her paperwork aside and began prepping for patrol. She stood up to sling her utility belt around her waist and grabbed her helmet from the desk.

She hadn't patrolled with Bakugo in a while so she had to take a minute to mentally prepare herself for it. Work Bakugo was very different from outside work Bakugo. His ego was immeasurable in the workplace and he took the work so seriously that it was scary.

Ten minutes flew by and she finally pushed the door open to exit the building. The sun was warm but not hot on her. Fall was coming in fast this year and while this cooler weather was great, she wasn't thrilled for the coming chill of winter. She sighed silently as she blinked toward her impromptu patrol partner.

"Took you long enough," Bakugo growled as he adjusted his grenadiers on his arms.

She was slightly taken aback, "I'm right on time."

He scowled back at her and opened his mouth to berate her about the importance of being early. However, she was quick to raise her hand and shake her head.

"I don't even want to hear it." She dropped her hand and started walking, "But you can start telling me about this plan."

Bakugo frowned and followed after her, "Tch, I knew it was a fucking piss poor idea to involve you."

"Well, I'm involved," Uraraka shot back with a grin. "So start talking, Bakugo. The Mamushi group isn't going to wait forever."

He was slightly put off by her bossy tone but wrote it off as credit to her mood, "It's fucking simple. We wait until we get the green light and then we strike."

She sighed at him, "What did Edgeshot have to say about it?"

"The fucking guy doesn't say much about anything," Bakugo recalled his somewhat one-sided conversation with the ninja hero. "But we're keeping this under wraps until something happens. If we can secure the Mamushi leader,

then it'd be unwise to risk tipping them off that we're coming."

She followed Bakugo's gaze to the street they were walking down, "Have you heard anything else from your informant?"

"No," Bakugo ground out through his teeth.

Uraraka let silence hang between them for a minute, "Do you trust him?"

It was a question that Bakugo had expected Edgeshot to ask, not the brunette beside him. His eyebrows furrowed and he hardened his eyes, "I guess we'll have to find out when this all goes down. I'll kill that pipsqueak if this all goes to shit."

She couldn't help the nervous smile on her lips, "Aside from Kirishima and Edgeshot, does anybody else know?"

"Just us," Bakugo ground out the words, "Are you done asking stupid fucking questions?"

Her nervous eyes switched to slight annoyance, "I don't want to be in the dark about all this, Bakugo."

His eyes finally met hers and he narrowed his gaze, "You're not the only one in the dark, roundface."

She sucked in a breath, knowing that their encounter from last night was weighing over them. This patrol just went from tolerable to awkward, "About last night…"

He felt his heart leap to his throat at her change of topic, "There's nothing to fucking talk about."

"There is a lot to talk about," She breathed tiredly. "You can't just show up at my place and…" She waved her arms around awkwardly.

"What?" He shot back. "It was work related, dumbass."

"Not all of it!" She protested and turned her head away to blush, "I need you to explain yourself, Bakugo."

The blonde was irked by her demand and he clenched his fists behind the cover of his grenadiers. "I don't explain myself to anybody."

She grunted in frustration and slowed her walking speed, "This is not a stupid game, Bakugo. I can't have you jerking my feelings around like this."

He felt his chest tighten at her tone but he didn't allow his glare to waiver at all, "We're at work, Uraraka."

"We're on a patrol," She corrected and finally came to stop. "I think it's a perfectly reasonable thing to say that we're probably not going to see any villains so now is as good a time as any to talk."

He halted a few feet in front of her and turned his glare her way, "There's nothing to talk about. I've made myself clear."

"No," She retorted, "Nothing is clear. You're mister angry-pants one minute and a decent human being the next. You say I'm weak but then insist that I'm strong. Well, which is it, Bakugo?"

He stared at her with a blank gaze. What did she want him to say?

"Do you…" She struggled to get the words out of her mouth. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

He knitted his brows at her and inhaled sharply, "It doesn't fucking matter."

"It does matter!" She breathed desperately. "I need to know. I'm doubting myself and I want some clear answers from you."

Bakugo turned his back and started walking again, "Pull yourself together, Uraraka. You know where I stand on this."

An exasperated breath left her mouth before she jogged back to his side and grabbed his arm, "Then say it."

His scorching eyes turned on her but he didn't break from her grasp. His mind and heart told him to do two different things. Focus on the job and ignore her or ignore the job and focus on her. Inside his mind and heart was a mighty clash between two passionate sides and neither gave an inch.

"I…" Bakugo barely breathed the word as he caught her intense and demanding brown eyes. He was as stiff as a board and for once in his life, he had no witty reply to save him.

Uraraka held his gaze for what felt like a long time before she sighed and released his arm. "I guess neither of us know what we want." She dropped her gaze as she said it and began walking again. It wasn't until she had turned her back to Bakugo that she noticed the citizens around them had been watching intently. They all averted her accusatory gaze and seemed to fumble for something to do.

Bakugo didn't notice them whatsoever, but he never did. Instead, he watched after her with a sinking feeling. His arm she had held so firm just a moment prior now hung limp by his side. His expression was as stoic as ever to anyone else, but he could feel that his jaw had dropped slightly as she showed him her back. What the fuck had just happened? Why did he freeze?

"Hurry up, Ground Zero." Uraraka's voice seemed to float over to him on wings, "Let's get this patrol over with."

Bakugo blinked and quietly cleared his throat. He somehow managed to start putting one foot in front of the other again and he began glancing at his surroundings to distract himself. Just about anything else would be better than looking at Uraraka right now.

Well, except for one sight.

He didn't stop walking after the brunette, even when his red eyes locked with green ones. In fact, he didn't even speak a word. He simply held the gaze with his typical scowl. But Deku would know that this wasn't just a typical scowl. This was a challenging scowl.

Midoriya didn't flinch or falter at it either. He simply stared from where he stood, leaning on the corner of a building across the street. A slow wind seemed to blow between them and all other noise was blocked out. Bakugo felt a spark of the fire he relished ignite in his chest.

Perhaps that little shit stick really is threatened by him.

Almost as soon as their eyes met across the street, Deku's looked toward Uraraka. Bakugo glanced the same way to see her tossing a look back at him with an unamused expression. He could detect a hint of sadness in her eyes, but his mind was too distracted to work that out. Bakugo tilted his head back toward Deku's direction but the shit stain was nowhere to be seen.

The blonde inwardly scoffed and he clenched his hands inside his grenadiers once more. He scanned the area but never found the green-haired schmuck again. Had Deku been following her? Part of him wasn't particularly surprised by the implication. It was clear that that fucking coward felt like his relationship with Uraraka was being threatened. Bakugo felt a swell of satisfaction at that. It seemed to help clear up some of the fog that had been in his mind toward the bubbly brunette in front of him.

"Bakugo!" Uraraka voice broke him from his thoughts, "What are you doing?" Her voice sounded strained, like she was trying to hold something back.

The blonde blinked and settled his gaze to see that she was far ahead of him now. He suddenly became conscious of how hard he'd been clenching his fists and jaw and he forced himself to release them. "I'm doing my fucking job, roundface," He jerked his head toward the street, "I'm keeping an eye on things."

"I thought we covered this," Uraraka huffed with indignation, "I think it's safe to say that we won't run into any villains out here." She had stopped walking and crossed her arms.

Bakugo narrowed his eyes at her, "You've got a smart mouth today, roundface."

"No," She held his glare, "I'm just running out of patience."

Bakugo grunted with indignation before he barged past her, leading the way on the rest of their route. He knew why she was suddenly in a foul mood but he wasn't going to cut her slack for the sake of heartache. They had bigger fish to fry and he needs her to bring her A game. "If you're in such a goddamn hurry, then we'll fucking hurry." He quickened his pace to the point that Uraraka had to jog to keep up.

He heard her protest a few times but he didn't slow down. He was suddenly anxious to get back to the agency and be rid of the awkward tension that seemed to multiply between them whenever they had a conversation. He couldn't rid his brain of the look on her face when she had asked him to be honest with her and there was a phantom hand on his arm where she had held him. It unsettled him that she would call him out like that but he tried to cram the confusing feelings down and focus on the patrol.

"Bakugo," Uraraka pleaded as she hurried to keep up with him without breaking into a run, "I didn't mean for you to take this so literally. You don't have to speed back to the agency, you know?"

He didn't reply, opting to move faster instead. He grabbed his phone from his pocket and glanced at it. There was no update from his informant and he was getting annoyed. A seed of doubt planted itself in his chest about this informant. Could he this villain be trusted? He scoffed internally at that question and felt an idea sprout in his mind. Perhaps he could test the informant's loyalty.

He led them around a corner and it was only another minute before a familiar location caught his eye. He passed the entrance to the alleyway behind the noodle shop and came to a stop outside the front door. A few scenarios ran through his head. What if he went inside to check things out himself? Perhaps that would blow the entire operation but his curiosity and impatience were already peaking and this felt like as good an idea as any.

"Ooo," Uraraka smiled warmly at the storefront. "Are you hungry or something?" She looked at the menu that had been taped to the door. "I could go for a bowl of udon. I didn't get a chance to eat lunch," She glanced back at Bakugo, "But that was thanks to someone that was itching to get out on patrol."

Bakugo ignored her jab at him because his mind had been made up. He glanced at the menu on the door for a moment before he yanked on the door and moved to go inside.

"Wait!" Uraraka scrunched her eyebrows and followed after him, "I was only kidding!"

Bakugo didn't look back at her as he entered the ramshackle noodle shop. He immediately scanned the room. There were some tables with plastic chairs scattered around and a counter along the back wall. Two people were standing behind the counter and they looked up with wary eyes when the heros walked in.

For a moment, nobody said anything and Bakugo stood in the doorway. His red eyes zeroed in on each of the men inside, watching for them to make a move. They seemed tense and uncomfortable under his gaze. They glanced at each other, an unspoken understanding passed between them.

"Excuse me," Uraraka's voice shattered the silent standoff between the hero and villains. "Bakugo, could you please move?"

The blonde frowned deeply before moving aside and letting the brunette pass. She ducked inside and looked around, completely unaware of the situation they were in. "Why would you stop in the middle of the doorway like that?"

Bakugo's serious expression didn't waiver and he never took his eyes off the two other men inside. He didn't reply to her question but slowly moved toward the back of the shop, his hands at the ready.

There was a clatter in the backroom of the building before the door behind the counter popped open and a third man entered the room. The third man was dusting his hands off as the door swung shut behind him but he froze in place the moment his eyes landed on the heroes.

"Er…" The newcomer cleared his throat, "Ground Zero… Whadda we owe tha pleasure?"

The blonde hero walked all the way up to the counter and glanced between the three men. He examined all of them, taking mental notes of all their features in an effort to discover some information about their quirks. He recognized the third man immediately as his informant. "It's rather empty in here for a Monday afternoon," He commented dryly and looked at all the empty tables.

The first of the three men was leaning his hip on the counter as he counted out a small stack of money. He tucked the money into the pocket of his jeans before he stood upright, "We've had a bit of a dry spell lately." The man dropped his eyelids suspiciously and tilted his head.

Bakugo held his inquisitive scowl and looked at the area behind the counter, "It doesn't look like you've cooked much either."

"As I said," The first man came up to his side of the counter to stand directly in front of the blonde hero, "We've had a bit of a dry spell. No point in making noodles that we won't sell."

"And yet there are three of you here," Bakugo narrowed his eyes.

The informant fidgeted uncomfortably and he glanced between the other men in the room, "Well, I's just leavin'."

Bakugo finally turned his intense gaze on the small man that he'd been paying for information but he didn't get a chance to say anything before he was cut off.

"Do you have any fresh udon?" Uraraka asked suddenly and all four men turned to look at her. She was still standing behind her colleague with a fingertip tapping her chin. She had been reading the menu quietly the entire time.

There was an uncomfortable silence before the second man cleared his throat to answer, "No, only ramen today."

"Hmm," Uraraka hummed thoughtfully, "I guess I could eat some ramen. Do you have any recommendations? I haven't eaten here before."

All the men seemed baffled by her innocent question and they glanced anxiously at each other. The blonde hero's stern glare was on them, watching as they shuffled to work. The first man that had been counting money shrugged, "All we got is run of the mill ramen bowls today. Not much of a choice in that."

Uraraka smiled softly, "Well, I'm hungry enough to eat anything, so I'll take one of those." She turned to her hot-heated counterpart, "Do you want the same thing? I'll buy."

Bakugo had been staring down his informant throughout her exchange with the others. His red eyes had been watching how unnerved the man became at the surprise visit. The nervous look on the informant's face as he glanced between the other two villains he worked with gave away his intentions. "I'm not hungry."

"But you're the one who came in here," Uraraka pointed out and she looked a little harder at the blonde. He seemed distracted and his expression was guarded as he glared intently at the man that had claimed to be leaving. She followed Bakugo's gaze and saw that the man seemed jittery and anxious. Suddenly it dawned on her that something was up. This wasn't them picking up a late lunch, it was a mission that she hadn't been clued into beforehand.

The explosion hero tensed at her point and he broke his eyes away from the informant to look at her, "I'm fine. Get whatever you want."

Uraraka nodded quietly and signaled to the men that she'd only be buying one serving. The men seemed apprehensive as they set to packaging the food in a styrofoam cup. She was becoming painfully aware of how tense the room felt and hoped she could use some of her own skills to mend that. "So are you the owners?"

The man who had counted the money snapped a lid over the cup and reached for a bag, "Owners of what?"

"This shop," She stated dumbly and hoped that small talk would help ease the stress in the air. Whatever Bakugo was up to, she wanted to make sure he didn't blow it by being himself.

The second man that had been mostly silent watched as his counterpart put the meal inside a bag with some chopsticks, "Something like that." He turned his gaze onto her and she noticed how his eyes resembled a cat, "Why do you want to know?"

"I'm a curious person," She replied smoothly as she stepped all the way up to the counter and dug around in the small bag attached to her utility belt. "How much do I owe you?"

"It's on the house," The man who had packaged her food replied as he came to meet her at the counter. He pushed the bag across the counter toward her, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. He seemed to relax his glare when she beamed at him and thanked him for the meal.

She tied the bag over the top and turned to Bakugo. He met her gaze for a moment, a flicker of confusion crossed his eyes as she smiled at him and signaled toward the door, "Shall we go, Ground Zero?"

He seemed miffed by her positivity before taking one more long look at the men behind the counter, "Whatever."

"We're glad to know that heroes are hard at work in the streets these days," The man with the cat eyes quipped with a sneer as the heroes turned to leave. "Getting lunch during a patrol is the sign of a hero that is committed to the safety and welfare of our communities."

Bakugo bristled at the statement and lurched to face the men once more, "The fuck do you mean by that?"

Uraraka grew alarmed at Bakugo's rash response, "Surely they didn't mean any offense," She rested her hand on the blonde's arm before she turned her attention on the workers, "I apologize. We have been so busy today that we didn't get the chance to grab lunch. Thank you for the meal."

Bakugo hummed a low growl at the harsh gazes from the villains fronting as noodle house employees, "There hasn't been a villain on the streets for weeks. Why do you give a shit if we eat on patrol? The streets are safer than ever."

The informant flinched slightly at Bakugo's comment and the man with cat eyes smirked before replying, "You can't possibly assume that you've caught every villain in Tokyo… Hero."

"I'm not a fucking amateur," Bakugo snapped back harshly, "I don't give a shit if some villain fuck-sticks want to hide with their tails between their legs. I'll smoke them out anyway. It's only a matter of time."

The cat-eyed man and the one who packaged the food held Bakugo's harsh gaze effortlessly but the cat-eyed one was the one to speak, "I wish you the very best luck, Ground Zero. If I didn't know better, I'd say you've gone soft." He turned his eyes onto Uraraka's hand on Bakugo's arm.

The blonde hero shook off Uraraka's hand before he turned toward the door, "I don't need your damn luck." He wanted nothing more than to blow the entire ramen house to smithereens for the soft comment but he forced that inner flame to cool. "And any villain would could his goddamn lucky stars if I ever 'went soft' on them. And you'd be just as big a fucking idiot for assuming Uravity couldn't kick just as much ass."

Uraraka was taken aback by the compliment but she gathered her emotions in time to cast one last look at the men before she followed Bakugo outside. "What was that about?" She immediately asked once the door was shut behind them.

Bakugo grunted and began walking down the route of their patrol with a quick pace, "Shut the fuck up, roundface."

"No!" She snapped, "What was the point of that? Were they villains?"

Bakugo grit his teeth and turned an annoyed eye on her, "Fucking hell, roundface. Of course they were villains." He turned a corner so that they were out of view of the noodle shop and he snatched the bag out of her hand.

"Hey!" She chided as she watched him throw it into a garbage can. "Why would you do that?"

Bakugo rolled his eyes, "For fuck sake, it could be poisoned." He reached up and adjusted his mask a little as he mulled over the events of their surprise visit. His informant had hardly said a word the entire time the heroes were in the shop. Bakugo had watched as he fidgeted nervously and glanced at his two counterparts. He had reacted exactly as Bakugo had hoped he would.

Uraraka watched as Bakugo seemed to think hard for a minute, "So what was the point of going in there?"

"My informant," Bakugo broke from his thoughts. "He can be trusted."

Uraraka tilted her head, "Wait, one of those guys is your informant?"

The blonde sniffed at her question before he started their walk again, "You ask a lot of fucking stupid questions, roundface."

"How was I supposed to know?" Uraraka sputtered and began following him. "And why would you put your informant on the spot like that?"

Bakugo smirked internally at his ingenious idea to test his informant, "He was nervous as shit that we were there. He was scared as hell he'd get caught and outed as a hero informant. It was the most efficient way to know if we can trust his information."

Uraraka seemed to mull over his reply for a moment, "That's actually not a bad idea. So the noodle house is a front?"

"You're damn right it is," Bakugo replied sternly. "And it seemed to me that they weren't just fucking around before we got there either. Whatever is going to happen with the Mamushi group is going to happen soon."

"I'm ready," Uraraka breathed and felt a twinge of excitement in her chest. Perhaps this could be her big break moment that she had been hoping for. If she could help capture the Mamushi Viper or better yet, catch him herself, then she is sure that would boost her hero ranking ten times over.

Bakugo could almost feel her nervous energy and he glanced to his right to see her walking beside him. She was wearing a look he hadn't seen her wear before and it tickled his curiosity. She looked determined and almost vengeful. For a brief second, he was proud of himself for including her but then he reminded himself that he doesn't help people out of the kindness of his heart. No, he didn't include her to help her out, he did so because he'd seen her fight and he knew that she would be a great asset to capturing the Mamushi Viper. It was just business.

"Let's get back to the agency," Uraraka said with a stern tone. "I want to do a little training."

Bakugo scoffed, "You're going to need a hell of a lot more than just a little training, roundface."

She gawked at him, "Rude!"

Bakugo almost smirked but he caught himself, "If you need a sparring partner, I'm happy to kick your ass for free."

Uraraka laughed heartily and placed her fingertips against his arm, "Keep dreaming, Bakugo."

Bakugo felt his feet suddenly leave the ground as Uraraka continued walking, "What the shit?!"

"Take it back," She teased over her shoulder and she couldn't help but giggle at the furious face he wore as he floated upward. Truthfully, he'd had this coming for a while now. It made her laugh and it helped ease the confusion in her heart. She and Bakugo seemed to argue often but it wouldn't be more than a few minutes before they bounced back again. She'd learned not to take his insults so literally all the time and it paid off for moments like this. "Take it back and I'll let you down."

"Fuck you! Put me the fuck down right now or I swear I will fucking murder you!"

* * *

 **lol**

 **I'm back.**

 **I am very sorry for waiting 1.5 YEARS to update.**

 **But... I'M BACK!**

 **I'm sure you all hate my guts now so I wrote a SUPER long chapter for you guys. I will be back to regular updates but not as frequently as the past. I told you guys that I would be back so I'm holding to that promise. I know it's been a very long time but I got really inspired to continue this when I took an afternoon and read all of your reviews. It meant so much to me and I wanted to make sure I didn't let you all down. I WILL FINISH THIS FIC IF IT KILLS ME!**

 **Instead of the normal review response format, I will be addressing all of you at once. THANK YOU so much for all the loving words of support and for sticking to this story. I really cannot express how much I adore each and every reviewer and reader. I hope you all haven't abandoned me over the last year or so but I will try to make it up to you. I am really looking forward to not only getting to deliver new chapters to you all but I also am excited to get back to having conversations with you guys. I adore each of you so much and I am so happy to be able to provide an update after all this time! I look forward to the future of this fanfic and I hope you all enjoy the ride. I would love to hear from you if you have returned.**

 **Personal Note: I work a fulltime job and I'm taking a full load of courses for college this semester so I will be very busy BUT I want to make sure I designate a few hours every week to working on this for you all. I will be back with regular updates and I will hold to that promise this time. I have seen many of my favorite fics reignite recently with fresh updates years later and I thought now was as good a time as any to reappear. I have been away for a long time, so if there are any good new Kacchako fics out there, please send them my way! I need to be able to do more reading lol.**

 **I will be back soon with another new chapter! Happy new year to all of you and I will see you again very soon! :)**

 **XOXOXOXO (i love u guys)**


	17. Chapter 17

Midoriya was growing restless as the sun dropped out of view and the sky grew darker. He'd been waiting outside Edgeshot's agency for a few hours and it was beginning to wear on him. What was taking Uraraka so long? Did she normally stay at work this late? His phone had died earlier in the day so he had no way of checking back in with her. He watched as the sun disappeared from view completely and dusk set in.

"What the heck," He muttered impatiently and pushed open the door the agency. Perhaps she'd gotten distracted and he didn't want to be stuck waiting forever. He glanced around the lobby at the nighttime heroes getting ready for their patrols. He spotted one that looked somewhat familiar and approached, "Excuse me," He waved awkwardly, "I'm looking for someone and I'm hoping you can help."

"Oh my god!" The hero he approached seemed shocked, "You're Deku!" The hero was a young kid, probably a sidekick that was fresh out of high school. He was wearing all black robes and his long black hair was tied back.

"Yep," Midoriya smiled brightly, "That's me!"

"This is amazing," The sidekick beamed. "Can I get an autograph?! No! A photo!" The kid turned to the heroes that accompanied him, "Do any of you have your phone? I need to get this photo!"

Deku suddenly found himself in the uncomfortable situation of having his photo taken with a number of people that worked at Uraraka's agency. It didn't take very long but he was feeling impatient and worried. When the photos had been wrapped up, he turned back to the young sidekick. "I'm actually looking for someone," He gave his winning smile, "Where can I find Uravity?"

"Who?" The young hero furrowed his eyebrows.

"Uravity…" Deku drawled out her hero name with uncertainty but was surprised when the young hero didn't seem to register the name.

"I'm sorry," The young hero seemed confused. "I don't know of anyone by that name here."

"She's this tall," Deku held up a hand to just below his shoulder, "With short brown hair? She wears a pink costume?"

The sidekick seemed to think hard but eventually shook his head, "I'm sorry, I don't know."

Deku released a terse sigh before another name popped into his head and he felt his nerves fray as he asked, "What about Ground Zero?"

"Oh!" The young sidekick seemed to brighten, "Yeah, he usually works out in the gym at night!" The kid pointed to the elevators in the corner of the grand lobby, "If you take that to the third floor, go down the hall, and take the last right, you'll find it." The sidekick's smile seemed to droop a bit, "But he doesn't like to be bothered so I would probably steer clear."

Deku almost laughed at the fear written on the sidekick's face, "Don't you worry, Bakugo and I go way back. We went to high school together." He turned toward the elevator, "Thanks for all your help!"

"Of course!" The sidekick smiled and waved back, "And I'm sure I'll meet er…. Uravity?"

Midoriya felt his heart sink a little, "Yeah… I'm sure you will." He turned away completely and made for the elevators. His mind suddenly felt foggy as he mulled over the conversation he'd just had. That sidekick had known just about everything that was to know about Deku's hero name and legacy but couldn't even put a face to the name Uraivity. He felt a wash of guilt.

As he pressed the button for the third floor inside the elevator, Deku considered Uraraka's claims so far. He realized that she hadn't been joking when she told him she was virtually unrecognized as a hero. She had even told him that she'd been mistaken as Bakugo's sidekick at one point. He hadn't believed her in the slightest at the time but now… he believed her. Not even heroes at the agency she worked at recognized her name.

Deku was in a cloud of thoughts as he exited to the third floor and turned down the hallway to see it mostly empty outside of a few leftover heroes leaving after a late workout. He waved at them as they whispered when they recognized him. He meandered down the hallway until he reached the gym and poked his head through the door. There were a few heroes jogging and lifting weights but none of them were the woman he was looking for.

Deku bit his cheek and furrowed his eyebrows as he turned back to the elevator. Perhaps she had to work late and she was still in her office? He glanced over the directory inside the elevator before smashing the button for the 9th floor. A sudden feeling of anxiety washed over him as he exited to the empty floor of offices. It was silent as he exited the elevator and he couldn't ignore the feeling like he was intruding as he slowly walked further down the dark blue painted hallway. But the feeling didn't last long as he heard voices coming from around a corner.

He glanced around the corner and was surprised to see Uraraka standing in the doorway of an office a few doors down. He could see her side profile and she brushed a few locks of hair behind the ear facing him. He could see that she was smiling softly at whoever she was speaking with. She wasn't dressed in her costume, only in jeans and a baby blue sweater.

"I never thought about it like that," He could barely make out the words as she spoke with whoever was in the office she that standing outside of. "That actually helps so much!" Her smile grew a bit.

He could hear a muffled man's voice but he was unable to make out any more than that as he watched and listened in dead silence.

"Always quick with the wit," She laughed lightly. "But really, I appreciate the help. I've been trying to learn that move forever but I could never get the footwork right."

"That's not hard to believe," Deku felt a brick drop in his stomach as he was finally able to hear the voice of the other person talking to his girlfriend. "It's like you forgot that we went to high school together, short-stack. I know how bad you suck at everything."

Uraraka took a half-step back as Bakugo appeared in the doorway and leaned against the door frame. He looked relaxed, maybe even content, as he crossed his arms over his chest and gave the girl his full attention. His face held no frown as he watched her squirm at his playful insult.

"I seem to recall a time that I almost beat you in our freshman sports festival," Uraraka teased and unconsciously stood up on her tiptoes as she clutched the strap of the duffel bag slung across her chest. "And another time that I kicked your butt at ground beta… Oh! And that one time that I-"

"Alright, alright," Bakugo smirked and crossed one foot over the other as he leaned harder against the door frame, "You got lucky two or three times." He leaned forward a tiny bit as he watched her smile mischievously. "That's all it was, roundface. Luck. You'd be wise to remember that."

Deku watched quietly as the brunette playfully slapped Bakugo's shoulder and giggled loudly, "Well I always had my biggest wins with you against me," She teased. "Like that thief I captured a few weeks ago."

"God," Bakugo turned his head down to hide his smile behind his spiky hair, "You fucking embarrassed that guy. I'm sure he's still hurting to this day from that arrest." His red eyes reappeared as he looked at her with a serious expression, "But I still let you have that one."

"Oh, stop it." Uraraka finally fell back onto her heels and sighed happily. "Just let me have that win, huh? I beat you fair and square."

Bakugo didn't reply. Instead, he just looked at her with an almost soft expression. Midoriya knew that look. It's the look that people used to say he wore when he looked at Uraraka. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the blonde that was so easily chatting up Uraraka. A little piece of him died in that moment as he saw Uraraka smile back at the blonde with a warmth that he missed dearly. When was the last time she looked at him like that? Or even laughed with him like that?

The moment between the blonde and brunette finally simmered and both began clearing their throats and looking away from each other. "Well," Uraraka breathed tiredly, "I suppose I should probably head home." She gripped the strap on her bag tightly.

"I'm gonna stick around here," Bakugo muttered and suddenly his expression was stoic. "I'm expecting an update any minute."

Uraraka looked down at her shoes and breathed out a sigh. "I really want to stay too but…" Her voice drifted off.

"Deku." Bakugo finished for her with a flat tone.

"Yeah…" Uraraka hummed awkwardly. "He and I still have a lot to talk about."

Deku's heart leapt to his throat and suddenly he felt sick. He watched Bakguo scoff at her comment and ever so slightly shake his head, "When does that fucking shitstain leave town anyway?"

"Tomorrow I think," She replied softly and took a step away from the blonde. "Listen, about our conversation earlier on patrol-"

"Don't." Bakugo cut in harshly. "I don't have anything else to say about it."

Uraraka huffed a frustrated breath, "Bakugo… I'm sorry if I kind of put you on the spot out there. I didn't mean-"

"Uraraka," Bakugo stated her name with a firm tone. His red eyes zeroed in on her but he didn't say anything more.

Deku felt a spike of jealousy that he didn't realize he'd been harboring until that moment. He had never needed to worry about his relationship until today. For three years, he never doubted Uraraka's feelings toward him but he saw the way she looked at the blonde in that moment and he saw a face he couldn't describe. It was a mix of confusion and hurt. A look that said so much that he didn't know. It wrecked him to realize that Bakugo could read the expression while he couldn't and the blonde-haired man held her gaze with an intensity that Deku couldn't hope to match.

Both the blonde and brunette didn't look away from each other for a long moment but Bakugo suddenly fished out his phone and glanced at the screen, "You're in luck, roundface." He turned the screen toward her. "You don't have to go home to that fucking dipshit tonight. You get to catch a snake."

Uraraka looked away from the screen and back at a maliciously smiling Bakugo, "Oh my god," She breathed. "I need to change!" She turned down the hall and began jogging toward the locker rooms on the other end of the hallway from Deku.

Bakugo, who was still clothed in his costume, shouted after her, "Hurry the fuck up! I'm giving you thirty seconds!"

"I'll be fast!" Deku heard her call from down the hall and the sound of a door slamming followed. Dead silence followed the exchange and Deku suddenly hid his face back behind the corner of the wall. Panic took over him as he realized that Bakugo, the hottest-headed and strongest-willed person he'd ever met, was alone with him in the silence. It would be shockingly easy for the explosion hero to discover Deku's hiding place by his listening capabilities alone.

Deku slowly turned his head to the right to see the elevator and a little beyond that was the door to the stairwell. He licked his lips as he felt his heart rate spike. How was he going to escape without Bakugo hearing him? A dozen scenarios ran through his head and he didn't dare to move as he considered the options. It was obvious that the stairwell was the only plausible means of escape but the door would be so loud and Bakugo would surely come to investigate. Even with the use of his quirk, Deku doubted he'd be fast enough to make it all the way down to the bottom floor before Bakugo made it through the stairwell door and looked down to see Deku escaping.

Suddenly, his mind was made up. He silently snuck over the stairwell door and quietly pushed it open. He'd hardly pushed it a quarter of the way before it creaked loudly and at that moment, Deku was in action. He pounced over the railing and jumped down an entire flight of stairs, green flashes surrounding him. He quickly turned around and threw open the 8th floor doors and dashed inside just as he heard the door above him slam open.

The 8th floor was buzzing with the night shift heroes. All of them buggered their eyes at him as he threw open the door.

"Shit…" Deku breathed as they all recognized him. "I was never here," He called out to all of them and pressed a finger to his lips. "I'm playing a prank on Ground Zero and he cannot find out." He stressed the 'cannot' with a serious tone before he ducked into the second office down the hallway. He slammed the door shut and repeated the words to the stunned hero seated at the desk, a finger pressed firmly to his lips again.

Deku crouched behind the desk and waited, praying that Bakugo didn't investigate too far. He only hoped that whatever message Bakugo had received was more important than discovering an eavesdropper. He leaned toward the window and waited, watching the street outside the agency, all while trying to soothe the excitable night shift hero he'd barged in on.

Long minutes passed before suddenly, a bright pink costume could be seen leaving the building with a set of grenades walking alongside her. Deku shot to his feet and took off out of the office, tossing a thanks over his shoulder as he went. He raced back to the stairwell and dashed down the stairs to the exit, all while using his quirk as an accelerate. He slowed down as he went through the lobby, hoping to not draw any more suspicion to himself as he tried to hastily push through the front doors.

When he exited to the street, he followed to the last place he'd seen Uraraka. She and Bakugo had headed north and he jogged after them, scanning the sidewalks for any glimpse of where they had gone. Clearly, they were heading to handle a villain and he more curious about Uraraka's life in Tokyo now more than ever. How she approached a fight would be the perfect analysis of how she functioned as a pro hero.

Suddenly, he caught sight of Bakugo's orange and black headpiece and he began to follow. He told himself that following them was okay. It had been a long time since Uraraka had fought a serious villain and Bakugo tended to fight some of the worst kind. He'd just keep an eye on her. Just in case.

He quickened his pace to keep track of them but kept a safe distance. Based on their accelerated speed, he could only assume that wherever they were going was important. A part of Deku was glad that he'd shadowed Uraraka all day for this very moment. Now he could help her if she needed it.

* * *

Kirishima didn't feel his phone vibrate in his pocket as he spoke with the salesman. He was inside an electronics store that was mostly empty and he looked at the wall of televisions as they played the evening news. "Tell me about this one," Kirishima pointed to a slightly curved television mounted high up on the wall.

"Oh," The salesman gushed, "That's one of our best models on the market right now. It's your typical Samsung smart TV but this one has the latest 4K technology." The salesman clicked a remote and all the televisions all turned to views of landscapes. "You can really see the definition in these photographs but wait until the videos start and you'll truly understand the sort of streaming capabilities available to us today."

"Damn!" Kirishima remarked with a goofy grin. "Look at all those colors." He leaned into one and pointed as a nature video about ants began to play. "That's seriously cool stuff."

"Are you just looking for a television for your living space?" The salesmen questioned.

"Bachelor pad," Kirishima replied and smirked. "I want to flex on all my high school buddies with a cool ass TV."

The salesman, a middle aged gentleman, did not look impressed with Kirishima's reasoning. "Then perhaps you'd be interested in a surround sound system as well?"

"Oh hell yeah," Kirishima nodded enthusiastically. "Take me to them."

The salesman nodded and pointed past the walls of televisions. "I'll show you a few options we have and then I can show you one in action in our home theater."

Kirishima was stoked to say the least. He finally had set enough money aside to upgrade his set-up. He was more than happy to let the salesman do his job. They wandered for a while as the salesman pitched many, many televisions and sound systems to him. They even briefly discussed throwing in a new game console until Kirishima finally made his way back to the curved television they'd talked about earlier. "So, be real with me dude. How much is that TV gonna set me back? Can you give me a deal?"

"Well," The salesman grabbed the remote to the televisions. "I don't know how much of a deal I can offer but maybe we can work something out." The salesman clicked the remote and set the channel back to the news. "What sort of budget are you working with?" He signaled back to the sound systems, "And are you interested in maybe bundling it with a sound system?"

Kirishima laughed a little. As much as he wanted a sound system, that would have to wait until his next check, "Let's just talk about a TV first, huh?"

"Breaking news," A newscaster seated at a silver desk broke Kirishima away from the conversation. "We have just received word that a confrontation between villains and heroes has broken out in Keihin Industrial District." Kirishima's shot toward that screen and he watched as the newscaster showed video footage taken with a cellphone that showed an explosion and rubble flying. "We are sending a helicopter now to capture the scene."

The red-headed hero felt his jaw drop a mile and he scrambled for his phone. "Shit!" Four missed calls and ten missed texts from Bakugo.

Salty Boi: Keihin. _Thirty minutes. It's happening right now._

Salty Boi: _You fucking idiot! Where the fuck are you?!_

Salty Boi: _If you're not hauling ass right now, I might just murder you for this. Hurry the FUCK UP you good for nothing piece of human debris._

Salty Boi: _Fuck you. Uravity and I will handle this shit._

Salty Boi: _Fuck you asshole._

Kirishima felt his stomach plummet. Had they gone alone? He turned his eyes back to the screens just in time to see that the helicopter had arrived on scene and it was pure chaos.

Bakugo and Uraraka were in the center of it all, battling against a swathe of enemies five times their number but the villains were small potatoes. Nothing that a few seasoned pros couldn't handle. Kirishima took a moment to watch as they worked with astounding coordination. The camera was focused in on Bakugo as the newscasters' voices faded into the background. When you could see the blonde through the dust and smoke, he looked to be animate and alive. He and Uraraka, when you could see her, were flip-flopping between moves that seemed effortless. She'd perform a flip as he distracted the villain moving in close and then she could place her fingertips on them from behind. Once they were suspended in the air, Bakugo would blast them away with frightening force. They were truly a killer pair that fought with a iron will. Kirishima knew that they knew the odds of the battle but they were there anyway, trying to protect the people of Tokyo and Japan as a whole. They seemed fearless and unstoppable on the screen.

However, Kirishima saw something that he doubted the hero pair was even aware of in their preoccupation. Shadowy figures standing just inside the warehouse that the fight was happening in front of. A purple fog had began to escape the crumbled front face of the warehouse and Kirishima suddenly felt sick to his stomach.

"Oh man," The salesman breathed. "That's not very far away from here. I hope that it doesn't come this way…" His tone was worried.

"Don't worry," Kirishima suddenly broke from his trance. "The heroes will handle this." He snatched his duffel bag off the ground and looked around. "Where is your bathroom?"

It wasn't more than two minutes before Kirishima had abandoned his clothes and duffel bag inside the bathroom to race toward the action. He knew he didn't have much time. The fight that Bakugo and Uraraka were fighting was about to reach a new level and Kirishima knew that more heroes wouldn't be able to back them up soon enough. He had to get there before shit went sideways.

"I'll be back tomorrow!" Kirishima yelled the promise as he bolted out the door and turned toward the Keihin district. If he was fast enough, he just might make it in time.

* * *

Mina was bored at the bar that was conveniently placed two stories below her apartment. She'd been snacking on the bar food and chatting up the girl bartending as she let the night drawl on. She and the barkeep were good friends now, as Mina was certainly her most loyal regular. The television above the bar was playing the evening news and Mina was half-watching it as she talked.

"Yeah…" Mina swirled her nearly empty glass in her hand. "I guess I'm just wondering what I should do next, you know?"

The bartender, a girl that resembled bubble girl in style but instead of blue skin and hair, she was caucasian. "You have to get back out there, Mina. It's the only thing you can do. You can't just sit around and wait for somebody to come to you, you know?"

"That's easy for you to say," Mina scoffed. "Did I tell you that my best friend has two amazing, and let me emphasize _amazing_ , guys basically fighting over her?"

The bartender laughed as she poured another beer for one of the five other customers in the bar, "Only a thousand times."

"How?!" Mina burst with hilarious amazement. "I honestly don't know how she does it!"

The other girl delivered the beer to the man at the end of the bar before she returned to stand in front of Mina. "Listen," She took a towel and began wiping down the bar area around Mina, "I know you think you're never going to meet someone, but you will. But if you approach every situation like it's doomed to fail, then how will you ever know when you meet them?"

"Argh!" Mina leaned back on her barstool and sighed, "I wish you would stop being so right all the time."

"You never know, Mina," The bartender waved the towel jokingly, "Maybe you already met him."

Mina laughed aloud, "Perhaps he's one of my tinder dates I stood up." She ran through a list of dates she'd been on in her mind. "Maybe… Maybe he's that guy that I insinuated was into his mother. Or better yet, my one true love could be that guy that I noped out on when I first saw him on the street."

"Mina," The bartender said insistently. "Stop doubting yourself and open your stupid eyes. It could be that the person you're meant to be with has been on your radar for a long time."

Mina laughed aloud again, "Like who?" She sputtered, "Kirishima?!" She broke out laughing but the laughter died in her throat when she saw the serious look on the bartender's face. "You cannot be serious right now."

"I've seen you guys together more times than I care to admit, Mina." The other girl shrugged before turning her back to the pink woman. "All I can say for sure is that I've seen you two drunk at two in the morning enough times to be amazed, emphasis on _amazed_ , that you two haven't hooked up or dated."

Mina frowned, "Why does everyone say that about us? Kirishima and I aren't like that at all." But the question never got the chance to be answered.

"Breaking news," The words caught Mina's attention and she looked up at the television.

"Hey!" She waved at her friend, "Turn that up. Now!" Her tone went almost cold. A villain confrontation in Tokyo? There hadn't been on in weeks. This was actually a really big deal.

The young bartender shrugged back at her friend and tossed the pink woman the remote. "What's up?" She followed Mina's gaze to the screen. "A villain attack? Geez, I haven't seen one of these in forever. Thank god it's all the way across town."

"Shh!" Mina hushed the other woman and turned the volume up high. A few minutes passed at an agonizing pace as the newscaster waited for the helicopter video feed. When it finally appeared on screen, all the breath left Mina's lungs. "Oh my…" She couldn't even finish the sentence as she watched Bakugo and Uraraka battling their hearts out on the screen.

"Why are they alone?!" Mina barked at the screen and threw her hands out to either side of her. "Where is Kirishima? Or Edgeshot? Or literally anyone else?!"

The helicopter circled around the scene of the battle that was taking place in a large parking lot that had been nearly torn apart. There were warehouses dotted around the site that were dimly lit. The fight was only lit up by Bakugo's explosions until the helicopter shot a spotlight down on them. The scene minimized to show the newscasters, a man and woman, commenting on the scene that was unfolding. "It is unclear at this point what brought about the clash between heroes and villains." The minimized video feed closed in on Bakugo standing back to back with Uraraka as the blonde unleashed a shot from one of his grenadiers, sending a cluster of villains closing in on them flying like rag dolls.

"Oh wow," The bartender muttered as she dried a cup with a towel. "Ground Zero is there. Now I'm interested."

"Shut up!" Mina hissed and stood up out of her barstool. "I'm trying to listen to what they're saying." She felt a growing worry in her gut. There had been a lot of rumors at work that villains were organizing all over Tokyo. Did Bakugo and Uraraka just stumble in on a meeting of sorts? If that was the case, then this could be bad. Really, really bad.

"Ground Zero is on the ground now," The male newscaster commented with an almost relieved tone. "We are unsure of who his companion is at this time. Our specialist hero work commentator will be joining us momentarily and with any luck, we will be able to identify her."

The video feed maximized again to show the chaos of the scene that Bakugo and Uraraka were handling the like pro heroes. Bakugo had spent many explosions at this point but it seemed to be working to their benefit. With every move that the helicopter could catch between the smoke and dust, it was clear that the number of opponents was growing smaller. Uraraka was hardly seen in the haze of the battle, but that was mostly due to the fact that the helicopter's camera was focused on the blonde explosion hero.

The mindless commentary continued as the dust and smoke began to clear more so that the entire parking lot in front of the warehouse could be seen. Part of the wall on the front of the industrial building had collapsed to rubble, most likely caused by Bakugo. The two heroes were tied up with the final and more resilient villains in the parking lot that had been reduced to piles of asphalt and dirt. But Mina felt her breath hitch in her throat when she saw a purple fog slowly leak it's way out of the crumbled crevasse in the warehouse. The fog meandered its way out onto the battlefield, directly toward the fight.

"God damn it!" Mina shouted anxiously at the screen. "Look around you guys!" She felt her hands clench into fists.

"Oh my," The woman commentator was the first newscaster to see the slow-moving fog in the distance. "What is that?" The view zoomed in on the fog before the video minimized to show the newscasters again. "Is that fog?"

Both the man and woman seemed to squint in an attempt to see better. Suddenly, the man looked up and nodded before he spoke, "Joining us now is hero and villain specialist reporter Taneo Takuda! Thank you for joining us tonight."

Taneo pushed up the brim of his circular glasses as he took a seat the half-circle desk that the reporters were seated at. "Thank you for inviting me on. Let's see what we have here." He leaned into the screen that was obviously hiding behind the cameras. "Oh, I see Ground Zero there and what looks to be Uravity. Wow, it's peculiar to see her at a fight like this one!"

"Show the fucking video!" Mina spat at the screen angrily as she pushed up on the bar to hoist herself up so she could be closer to the television. She could hardly make out the fog on the halved screen and she bit her lip hard. Had her friends seen it yet? Did they know what was coming? What kind of quirk is that?

The fog had nearly reached the heroes at this point and Mina felt her anxiety shoot through the roof at the sight. But her held breath didn't stay long as Bakugo grabbed Uraraka's arm in a blink before he shot a blast that knocked both of them away from the creeping fog. Mina felt herself relax just a tiny bit as the camera seemed to lose sight of the heroes. Maybe they had this all under control after all.

"Oh!" The woman newscaster gasped. "Who is that?"

Mina blinked as the video feed full-screened again and she suddenly felt sick to her stomach. She knew who it was. She could barely hear Taneo's reply. "That looks like…" There was a long pause, "Oh wow, that's Viper." The shot finally focused on the fog where a figure that was once shadowed cleared and a man somewhere in the range of his mid-thirties was standing with a gas mask over his face.

"Oh shit," Mina breathed the words out her mouth and felt her heart leap to her throat. Every hero in Japan knew who Viper was. He leads the Mamushi group, sometimes called the Pit Vipers, and he was an unbelievably powerful villain. His bite meant a slow, agonizing death and his movements were astonishingly fast. He'd earned the name Viper for perfectly mimicking the creature that his quirk was named after. He had never been defeated. Heroes had started to call him the head of the snake a long time ago due to the fact that the Mamushi would never fall until they chopped off the head of the snake.

The newscasters seemed to burst to life with a fervor that Mina hadn't seen since the days of the League of Villains. "This is breaking news," The man's tone became stoney as he recited the words, "Heroes are engaged in a conflict with Mamushi group leader, Viper, in Keihin. Viper is known for the distribution of the popular and often fatal drug known as venom as well as the death of at least twenty-two known heroes, although some estimate that the count could be much higher."

"They need to get out of there," Mina's voice was almost a whisper as she watched two more figures appear behind the villain. She knew these villains almost as well as Viper. Constrictor, a lanky man, came up behind Viper on the right hand side. His alias as a villain said all anyone ever needed to know about his quirk. Cameo was the villain to Viper's left. He was an average sized man and his quirk reminded Mina of Toru's. Toru was invisible but Cameo was capable of changing himself to perfectly blend into his surroundings. It was a nearly unstoppable trio.

"Things are really heating up as Ground Zero and Uravity, a hero that recently transferred to the Edgeshot agency, face off with the Mamushi Viper and his two henchmen, Cameo and Constrictor." The woman followed up her male counterpart. "Taneo, what can you tell us about these villains and heroes?"

Taneo heaved a heavy sigh. "I don't have many good things to say about this situation, unfortunately. Ground Zero is a veteran hero at this point but Uravity… I can't even recall her last major villain bust. This pair will have their hands full with these villains. If we're lucky, we'll see more heroes appearing shortly."

"Get out of there!" Mina yelled at the screen. "Please! Don't be stupid!" She watched in horror as the camera switched to a view of Uraraka and Bakugo taking a fighting position, determination written on their faces. "God damn it Bakugo! How do you manage to talk her into doing the dumbest shit?!"

Mina couldn't recall the last time she was this stressed out. All she could do now was watch and hope that everything would be okay. If more heroes show up, then maybe the odds would change. If even one hero showed up to back them up, then the field would be more level.

* * *

Deku was crouched behind a pile of rubble as he watched Uraraka and Bakugo fight. He'd already dug into his backpack and changed into his hero costume, ready to jump in at a moment's notice. But he knew that he couldn't until it was a necessity. Uraraka would never forgive him if he jumped in too soon and he couldn't bear the heartbreak of losing her over a villain fight.

However, his feelings started to change the moment he saw three shadowy figures appear through a veil of purple fog, all three wearing gas masks to match Viper. His eyes turned to see Uraraka and Bakugo ready up for a fight and he felt his gut drop. They were actually going to fight all three of them? Are they insane?

Viper, the villain in the center, suddenly laughed through his gas mask. "Ground Zero!" His tone was almost jovial, "I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting."

"Shut your fucking trap!" Bakugo sneered, "Are you going to fight me or what?!"

"Who is your friend?" Viper tilted his head, the purple fog circling around him, "Your new sidekick?"

Deku's eyes flitted back to his girlfriend to see her tense. He knew her well enough to know that the villain was touching on her deepest insecurity. It would undoubtedly get under her skin.

"Uravity?" Bakugo scoffed, "She'd kick your ass ten times over. Besides, aren't you getting a little up in age there, Viper?"

The villain frowned and he was silent for a moment, "Constrictor, why don't you take a crack at 'em for this 'old man?' It would be a shame to dirty my hands any more than I already have."

The lanky villain wearing a trench coat seemed to be put off by the request, "Are you delusional?" He angled his body toward Viper and laughed, "While we may have a common enemy right now, I'm done being your fucking errand boy. I'm taking my fair share now."

"I see I haven't been successful in persuading you to reconsider," Viper replied with an almost joking tone. "If you really think that I'll just let you walk away, then you are mistaken. The Pit Vipers stay together and that's the end of the discussion, Constrictor."

Constrictor visibly tensed, "We will see about that, you fucking egomaniac. Can't you see that the Mamushi group is suffering? We won't be viable by the end of the year if we keep going the way we're going now. I'm done trying to convince you, Viper. I'm going to do it myself."

"Enough," Viper held up his hand. "We have a bigger problem on our hands tonight." He turned to the two heroes. "Cameo and I can handle this if you're truly that disinterested. It shouldn't take longer than a few minutes."

Deku watched as Bakugo leaned into Uraraka's side and they had a short exchange of words before they nodded simultaneously. Deku could hardly believe his eyes that Uraraka was agreeing to fight not only Viper, but Cameo and possibly Constrictor as well.

"What do you think of my new invention?" Viper indicated to the fog that began to grow more intense and spread, "I managed to turn my venom into a gas," He held up his wrists to show off the canisters spewing the gas that were strapped to his arms. "It renders biting someone almost completely unnecessary. It is incredibly effective."

Bakugo laughed maniacally, "Here's what I think of your little party trick, noodle neck!" He pulled up one of his grenadiers and grinned before he aimed and pulled the pin.

* * *

 **Well hello there! I'm back for another chapter! See? I told you all I'd keep going with this.**

 **I have to be honest with you all, this was one HARD ASS CHAPTER to write but I DID IT! I feel great! I really hope you all enjoyed it despite how iffy I feel about it. I'd love to hear your thoughts! (especially regarding the beginning part with Deku spying on Uraraka and Bakugo!)**

 **For those of you that haven't already seen, you may want to go visit my profile page. I took some time to address every review I received during my hiatus on there, including guest reviews (that left a name to address) and I will be moving the review response section to my profile page because there are just SO MANY of you now! (Thank you for that btw) So if you leave a review, check my profile when the next chapter is posted in order to read my response! :)**

 ** _I also created a twitter account at onlycamefortaco to give you all live updates on where I am in the writing process and continue the conversations with you guys off this website. I'd be very honored if you decided to give me a follow and I'd be even happier to start up new conversations with you all on a more personalized basis. I want to keep this party going in between chapters! I_** ** _think it could be fun!_**

 **As always, I love you guys and I'd appreciate to hear from you not only in the review section, but also on Twitter! I'll see you all soon!**

 **XOXOXOXO**


	18. Chapter 18

Uraraka hadn't felt the heat from one of Bakugo's grenadier explosions since her senior year of high school but she couldn't remember the blasts feeling this hot. It was a searing, white-hot heat that felt like it might pull the skin off her face. He had grown more powerful than she could imagine and the sheer force of the blast was testament to that.

She found herself sliding back a few inches as she threw up her arms to shield herself from the scorching explosion. It was over in the spanse of a few seconds before the blinding light dissipated and she finally made her move, running down the path the explosion left behind. The smoke and dust covered her as she tried to locate her target. The back of her mind chanted at her to be careful. One bite from Viper could mean the end of this fight and she was stuck with only close combat options.

However, her luck ran dry as the fog began to quickly creep back in to where Bakugo's blast had cleared it and she was forced to retreat. She glanced up to see that Bakugo had blasted himself high into the air to try and get a better vantage on the villains. His eyes suddenly found hers and the red in them gleamed at the fight. If the stakes weren't so high, she would smile at that.

"I'll take Noodle-neck," He shouted at her. "You need to take out his extras!"

She nodded at him and turned back to face the cloud of gas again. She needed to avoid the fog at all costs. Without something to protect her face, she couldn't chance even a whiff of Viper's deadly poison.

While she felt confident in her abilities, she couldn't lie that she was feeling the pressure. She could hear the helicopter circling overhead as it filmed for all of Tokyo to watch live. It had been a long time since she'd been in a high stakes fight. What if she's lost her edge? Could she really handle two serious villains on her own?

"Don't just stand there!" Bakugo's voice sounded so far off, almost like her own mind said it to her. "Fucking fight!"

Oh yeah… She's a hero. This is her big debut, her redemption moment. This is her opportunity to show that she's still got the goods and that she is a heroic force to be reckoned with. She'll be damned if Bakugo of all people showed her up.

"Handle yourself!" She barked back and finally felt the smile on her face. That is what All Might always said right? Save people with a smile. And with this fresh motivation, she turned around and eyed the asphalt that had been destroyed and piled up on itself in the corner of the parking lot. Perfect.

Her fingertips touched the largest piece of asphalt she could find and it slowly lifted off the ground. She needs a target but right now, she couldn't see anyone through the fog that was still steadily growing closer.

"Screw it," She murmured before hucking the concrete into the middle of the battlefield, hoping it would give up one of her enemies in the fog and smash into them. As quickly as the asphalt entered the gas cloud, it seemed to disappear. "Release," She pressed her fingertips together and heard what she assumed to be the asphalt chunk smashing into the wall of the warehouse on the other side of the fog.

She began to repeat this motion, throwing large slabs of concrete, metal, and asphalt into the dense cloud, hoping it was hitting something or someone. She spied Bakugo sailing over the purple haze, blasting explosions as he went and dodging attacks that she couldn't see. She was beginning to grow worried that all three villains had focused their attacks on him and she was just mindlessly throwing rocks into a cloud.

She pressed her fingertips onto a thick slab of concrete that had once been a sidewalk when she felt something slam into her back. All the breath left her lungs and she stumbled, twisting her body to try and see her attacker but found nothing out of the ordinary.

Her butt hit the ground and she gasped for breath, her eyes scanning the ground. This had to be Cameo. His sneak attacks were of exceptional success. He was a master over his quirk and she knew she'd have a hard time catching sight of him. However, this didn't deter her efforts. She'd had plenty of practice catching someone with an invisibility quirk. This would be no different.

"R-relea-" She struggled to finish the word with her empty lungs as she pressed her fingertips together. The cement slab that had been teetering suddenly regained its gravity and flopped down the opposite way into the dirt, kicking up a layer of dust. Her eyes immediately landed on a figure in motion. Almost as quickly as she saw it, it blended back into the dusty air. He was coming for her.

 _Touch something._

Her fingers reached around her as her lungs finally seemed to recover but she found nothing within reach. Instead, she grabbed a handful of dust and dirt and threw it out in front of her. She hoped she managed to get some in her attacker's eyes before she used her left hand to balance as she back flipped herself back to her feet. Her ears seemed to perk as she heard what sounded like someone's feet pivoting.

 _There you are._

She lunged to her right, her fists pulled up to protect her face as she twisted her entire body and threw a kick that connected with something hard and she managed to catch the silhouette of her opponent. Her right fist left her and tried to get a jab on Cameo, praying her fingertips would meet him. But this wasn't Cameo's first time fighting either. He threw his body back into a lean without a moment to spare, leaving Uraraka's hand outstretched. She grunted at her failure and immediately tried to pinpoint her target again.

A hand clamped around her wrist, yanking her forward in an attempt to land her face-first in the dirt. She pulled her head down and somersaulted through the attack and grinned. "I saw that," She taunted and whirled back around to search for her opponent, her fists put back up to protect her face. "You have to fight with your eyes shut, don't you?" She fell into a light squat as she scanned the ground, praying footprints would give her a hint.

A long moment passed before Cameo appeared in his entirety, his quirk shutting off. He was a few meters away from her, wearing a sickening grin, "You're a sharp little sidekick, aren't you?" He was wearing a sheer, skin tight cloth suit that covered everything from the neck down but was essentially see-through. Now she understood why he was wearing a trench coat in the few photographs authorities had of him.

Cameo caught the flushed look on her face and grinned wider, "That tends to be everyone's reaction." He clearly had no shame in his image. "The thinner my clothes are, the easier it is to camouflage it."

Uraraka forced her eyes to look back at the villain's face and she furrowed her eyebrows, "I'm not a sidekick. I'm a pro." This was her opportunity. She pounced forward, hoping that she caught the villain off his guard.

Cameo's eyes widened in surprise but he twirled to his left, almost gliding away from her. "Oh, you've got spunk!" He pulled up his elbow and jammed it into her back as she narrowly missed him.

Uraraka felt the blow but forced herself to pivot her feet and re-purpose the energy she didn't get to use. Her response time was faster than she'd anticipated, pleasantly surprising her, and she decided in that split second to come in low. He dropped her body down and tried to force her way into his chest.

"Whoa now!" Cameo chuckled and barely missed her fingertips as she swiped at him. "What's that you're trying to do there?"

Uraraka grit her teeth and tried again, every move she made forced a heaving grunt from her chest. How is this guy so fast?! Was the non-use of his quirk meant to be a taunt?

Cameo flipped and cartwheeled away from her, "You were quick to figure my quirk out. You're obviously well-trained. What's your alma mater?"

Uraraka ignored the question and reached to the ground to touch a manhole cover that was half dislodged. She picked it up with ease and threw it like a frisbee at the villain, "Release!" She pressed her fingertips together before she began to touch every piece of cement and asphalt she could find, letting it accumulate around her.

"Ooo," Cameo cooed, "A gravity quirk!"

Uraraka forced herself to tune him out as she picked up a piece of metal rebar and began hitting her gathered projectiles. Chunks both large and small began hurtling toward the criminal. He began to spring away with twists, flips, and somersaults to dodge the attacks and Uraraka hoped he didn't notice that she'd thrown herself toward him as well, armed with the rebar and her unbreakable spirit.

She was in his face sooner than he expected and she made another pass at trying to land her fingertips on him. She needed to get him on the ground somehow but as soon as the thought popped into her mind, he reactivated his quirk and blended perfectly into the backdrop of the purple fog that was getting dangerously close.

But he was at a disadvantage now and she was aware of it. He had to keep his eyes shut to conceal himself completely from her. She stilled herself completely and listened, her eyes scanning the area for any space that looked even a little bit off. Her hands tightened around the metal rebar that she intended to use as a weapon.

 _Where are you…?_

The soft sound of gravel shifting made her look sharply to her right, pivoting her body ninety degrees, but her eyes were met with an astonishingly lanky man with long, greasy hair that fell past his collarbones. His smile was contorted into a morose smirk. He was standing still, his upper body leaning heavily to the left and his yellow eyes seemed to gleam at her.

Uraraka was almost sick at the sight of the villain known as Constrictor. He was horrifying to look at and she could _smell_ him. He reeked of a stench she couldn't even begin to name.

"Well hello," The revolting villain didn't seem to even move his lips as he spoke.

Uraraka forced the concern at fighting two villains from her mind and hardened her features. She needed a game plan to handle them. She could hear Bakugo's explosions a little way away and she decided that she would need him for back-up. The smile never left her face as she waited for the villains to act. She wasn't going to make the first move anymore. She'd make the finishing moves.

Constrictor didn't move at all, he just stared at her with slitted yellow eyes but Uraraka wasn't going to let it bother her. She had bigger fish to fry. A piece of her hero intuition seemed to scream at her and she whirled another forty-five degrees to her right, using the rebar like a baseball bat, and swinging with all her strength.

The metal connected and suddenly, Cameo's quirk was turned off again as he stumbled backward, spitting up a bit of blood and clutching his chest. She hit him! Now all she has to do is touch him… But it's never that easy.

Her instincts screeched at her again and she could hear someone behind her as she began to reach for Cameo. She fell down to her knees as quickly as she could, with just enough time to see two skinny, long arms swipe to embrace where she was once standing. Constrictor hissed with frustration and Uraraka rolled to the left, narrowly dodging Cameo's next attack and hurling the rebar against Constrictor's legs. He recovered too quickly from taking a metal bat to the knees but Uraraka didn't have enough time to flesh out that thought as she used her hands to spring herself back to her feet. She backed away to a safe distance and observed her two opponents.

 _It's time to bring out the big guns…_

She knelt on one knee and pressed her hands completely to the cracked concrete she was on top of. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath through her nose before she smashed her fingers down into the cement and pulled up. A thundering crack could be heard as a massive piece of the ground disconnected from the earth beneath her and hovered a few inches off the ground. She hoisted her body to float on her back before she pulled up her other foot and kicked the piece she'd just broken away from the ground toward the villains.

It all happened so fast that the two villains didn't have any other choice but to brace for the attack. Uraraka didn't take the time to see how effective it was, she simply began working her way toward the other end of the destroyed parking lot where she hoped Bakugo was winning. She touched everything she could find along the way, hurling it at her attackers.

The fog seemed to be reaching its spread limit and Uraraka skirted it, going as close as she dared. She noticed that the villains avoided it like a curse as well, especially now that they were no longer wearing their gas masks. They chased after her as she moved with a fluidity that she'd perfected with years of sparring and experience.

She'd worked her way in a half-circle around to the other end of the battlefield, avoiding Constrictor's grip and throwing half-blind jabs at Cameo, praying her fingertips could finally connect. Truthfully, she was much more worried about Constrictor's quirk. If he managed to get her in his grasp, she wouldn't be able to get away and he'd squeeze her to death.

She could hear Bakugo's yelling clearly now and she almost smiled when she heard "Now die!" Smoke and ash moved through the air in between flashes of light and roaring booms. Through the mess of the battle, she caught sight of figure that she could only assume was Viper, hiding just behind the veil of the poisonous fog.

She finally pinpointed her partner when she saw the origin of one of the explosive blasts. She came to a sliding halt a few feet away from him as she laid her eyes on the two foes that had followed her. "Brace yourself!" She shouted at the blonde, who seemed to barely register that she'd arrived.

Uraraka took a deep breath and knelt again, smashing her fingers back down through the dirt below her feet as deep as she could dig them, "Split Gravity!" She grit her teeth and pushed her quirk's capabilities to the maximum output, her eyes closed tightly as she focused.

The earth beneath her groaned in protest and began to shift. Enormous cracks in the ground began to splinter away from where her fingers were dug in and it seemed like the pieces were beginning to become unglued from the ground. Massive cracks moved with alarming speed in every direction, staggering and breaking the ground. Every loose piece began to float as the destruction reached further and further away from her.

Hundreds of pieces of debris and pieces of ground seemed to pulse as they floated higher and higher. All three villains lost their balance, staggering for a foothold in the mayhem of Uraraka's destructive power. The ground seemed to fall apart under their feet and they couldn't escape.

Uraraka finally opened her eyes to observe the effect. Thousands of pieces of earth had splintered and broken away to float high above the destruction that spread many meters in every direction. She saw that not only her two opponents, but Bakugo's opponent as well, were trapped beneath her assortment of floating chunks. She released her hold on the ground and stood, her stomach aching and rebelling against her as she felt the weight of the many tons she was holding above ground. She pressed her fingers together and breathed out her command, "Release."

The battlefield, that had just been ripped up, suddenly collapsed in on itself again with frightening and deadly force. Rocks, concrete, pipes, grates, and everything else imaginable fell with abandon to bury their enemies.

Bakugo was stunned at Uraraka's show of force. She had just ripped up the entire battlefield and then dropped it on top of the villains. Was this a new ultimate move of hers? He turned his head to observe the woman he was fighting alongside and nodded in approval, "Fucking hell, roundface. That was some powerful shit."

"This isn't over," She replied with a stressed tone but nodded her thanks. "That was just meant to buy us some time to come up with a plan. We need to work together. I know that if we can do that, we can take these guys down before backup arrives."

Bakugo rolled his eyes, despite how right he knew she was. He'd never admit it but he was struggling against Viper. He couldn't quite get the upper hand. With Uraraka's help, especially if she kept pulling moves like this, he'd be able to land a finishing blow.

"Cameo can only use his quirk when his eyes are closed," Uraraka spoke fast, "Constrictor will try and hug you. _Do not let him._ "

Bakugo was thoroughly impressed. She'd already figured all this out? "Viper waits until you're close enough to him to strike but he doesn't seem to want to leave the fog. We have to draw him out."

Uraraka watched as some of the rubble began to shift and Constrictor's lanky limbs started to pry himself away from the mess. "We need to turn them on each other."

"Fucking obviously," Bakugo growled. "We have to rile up Constrictor."

"I'll go after Constrictor," Uraraka looked deadly, "You try and get Viper close enough to him that they get in each other's way. When they turn on each other, you blast them both and I'll go in to take away both of their gravity."

Bakugo didn't have time to give his approval as the rubble that had buried the Mamushi leader seemed to be thrown away like it weighed nothing. An angry and dirty man rose back to his feet, his eyes shone an electric yellow and his pupils were dangerously narrow. "I guess I underestimated you, little girl." He shook out his arms, particles of dirt and broken rock falling off his suit jacket. "First, you interrupt an important meeting between myself and my subordinates," He turned to look at Constrictor coldly as he tucked his hands into his suit pockets, "But then you try to kill me? I thought you amusing at first, but now I'm angry."

Bakugo sensed an attack before it even began, "Duck!" He snarled and shoved Uraraka into the dirt before following. Two projectiles flew through the air above them and disappeared but Bakugo didn't pay it any mind. He immediately rose back up on one knee and released a continuous round of fiery explosions at Viper. "I'll draw him out," The blonde half shouted at the brunette that was rising back to her feet.

Uraraka turned her head to see that Constrictor was running at them and she didn't have the time to try and locate Cameo. She took off running in between Constrictor and Viper, hoping to draw the skinny villain her way. She touched a huge chunk of earth that had been ripped out of the ground during her ultimate move and launched it toward him with a smile. She hoped the smile held the taunt she wanted.

Bakugo released a huge explosion, aiming it at his target. He was beginning to feel that familiar ache in his forearms and elbows that came with long battles. And his grenadiers were taking longer and longer to refill with his sweat. His mouth was a desert and his chest heaved with effort. He'd been fighting for quite some time now. How long could he realistically keep this up?

He glanced Uraraka's way to see her pirouetting through the air, staying a safe distance away from the most vile looking villain he'd ever laid eyes on. She was battling her heart out and it was clear that she wanted this win. If her display of power only a few minutes ago said anything about Uravity, it was that she'd improved more than Bakugo had ever considered giving her credit for. The years had been good to her and her techniques were nearly perfected.

Bakugo turned his gaze back toward his own opponent, only to see that he'd singed a little bit of Viper's finely groomed hair. "Ha!" The blonde felt a small victory. He hadn't been able to land a single hit on Viper. The villain was so unimaginably fast. His speed reminded Bakugo of All Might back in the day. He seemed to effortlessly dodge the blonde's explosions. But perhaps Bakugo was wearing him down... Or maybe, Bakugo was speeding up.

Viper reached into his jacket and threw a handful of darts filled with his venom at Bakugo, his speed still rivaling All Might's. However, the blonde had grown used to this trick and he easily dodged them. He needed to somehow move Viper close to where Uraraka was fighting. She was very close to the gas cloud now and she was holding off Constrictor for the time being, but it wouldn't last for long. They were playing at a delicate balancing act and Bakugo hadn't been able to deliver yet.

Bakugo managed to catch Uraraka's eye for a moment and the blonde hero had an idea. "Oi, roundface!" He shouted, "Float that son of a bitch!" But he wasn't sure if she heard him over the explosion he'd set off to hold back the Mamushi leader.

But Uraraka seemed to nod in acknowledgement as she floated up above her grotesque opponent. She'd been brewing an idea in her head on how to get Constrictor under her gravity manipulation for a few minutes and she figured that now was a good a time as any to give it a try.

"Release!" Uraraka let herself drop to the ground to the side of Constrictor and she took a hand-to-hand combat stance. She relied on her fundamental fighting skills heavily in any fight, so it always felt good to stretch that skill muscle. She couldn't get caught in his death grip or she'd be a goner, but she knew that the potential of it would allow her to get close.

She charged the villain, a battle cry ripping from her throat and a smile cracked her face. She slid in low, narrowly avoiding the swipes of his arms, and landing a hard kick on his knee. The villain stumbled but swiped at her again, preventing her for being able to lay a finger on him. If she could get behind him then maybe…

She didn't quite have time to formulate her plan before a hand grabbed the hair on the back of her head, digging into her hair, and pulled her back.

 _Cameo…_

Bakugo suddenly caught sight of Uraraka's predicament. Cameo was not camouflaged as he gripped the back of her head, pulling it back completely and Constrictor was recovering from the kick to the knee. She was in deep shit.

"Uraraka!" Bakugo shouted as he watched Constrictor step close enough to grab her but the blonde was too far away to stop it. He felt his heart leap to his throat but he suddenly saw a gleam of determination in Uraraka's eye. That roundface idiot let this happen on purpose. She had a plan.

The brunette smiled widely as she reached up to grab the hand that was knotted in her hair, but before she even had to chance to activate her quirk on the villain holding her hostage, a green flash appeared behind her.

"Smash!" Midoriya's voice could be heard as his foot landed against Cameo's face, throwing the villain across the lot.

"Deku?" Uraraka breathed as she glanced after the green flash, her mind completely blank for a moment. Her eyes met green ones first but she quickly turned away to find red ones. And her brain seemed to short out for a moment as she wondered what was going on. She didn't even register the warnings in the red eyes she was looking into.

Bakugo watched in horror as Constrictor took advantage of Uraraka's moment of distraction. His arms snatched her from where she stood and his smile seemed to grow to out to his ears. Bakugo saw Uraraka realize what was happening and she began to squirm in the villain's grasp, her arms trapped at her sides.

A flash of green reappeared but Viper seemed to step in the way before the one-for-all user could return to Uraraka. Bakugo glared daggers at Deku for a split moment and he hated the green haired man for what he had just inadvertently done. He'd barged in uninvited and now it could cost Uraraka her life.

Bakugo surged to action, using his quirk to boost him toward Uraraka. He was going to blast that fucking greasy-haired freak straight to hell and then pull him out just to do it again. He was nearly there before it felt like he'd hit a clothesline and was thrown down into the dirt. His lungs emptied upon the impact and he was momentarily dazed.

"Not so fast, sparky," Cameo's voice taunted from above him and the blonde immediately began trying to pinpoint the location of the voice. He didn't have time for this shit.

Bakugo wheezed a breath and tried to sit up but felt a foot land on his chest. No, he definitely didn't have time for the shit. He began to work up an explosion aimed where he safely assumed Cameo was hidden but he didn't get the chance before he was clocked on his right cheek, bloody spit following soon after.

Uraraka was in trouble and he couldn't help. The thought was playing on repeat in his head as he ignored the villain for a moment to glance where Uraraka was currently caught in the grasp of Constrictor. He has to help her. He can't waste his time with this fucking shitstain any longer. She was fighting for her life while he was distracted. He needs to clear his head.

"Alright fuckstick," Bakugo spit out blood onto the dirt, "I don't have time for this." Bakugo planted his palms to the ground and fired off an explosion from both sides. The earth beneath them shattered, throwing pieces in all directions and crumbling underneath them. He finally saw Cameo after his quirk had been deactivated and the scantily-clad villain seemed to fumble in the aftermath of the explosion, unable to get his footing back.

Bakugo hadn't fully recovered his breath and he took longer to stand up than he expected. He was wearing out and for a moment, he was a little worried. He wiped that doubt from his head as quickly as it came. Number one heroes don't worry about shit like that. Right now, he needed to save someone.

When he finally managed to locate Uraraka again, he felt his heart leap into his throat. She was clearly beginning to be crushed as Constrictor's long arms seemed to lengthen and wrap more tightly around her. Her face was turning purple and her eyelids drooped a little. But those brown eyes landed on red ones and seemed to soften, the fear leaving them. A long second passed between them before her eyes flicked away and looked toward the purple cloud of poisonous gas. She stared for a moment before her she began trying to twist her arm inside Constrictor's grasp.

Bakugo put two and two together and suddenly knew what she was going to do, "Uraraka! No!" His voice broke, his palms igniting. He felt a kick on the back of his leg and the blonde whipped around on one knee, his emotions slowly depleting to a mess of unknowns. "FUCK OFF!" The blonde roared with an unhinged rage. He thrust both of his arms forward and focused the chaos of his emotions into one single explosion. Cameo suddenly deactivated his quirk only to see the scene unfolding directly in front of him. The camouflage villain couldn't escape and he seemed to accept defeat as blinding light and white heat left Bakugo's hands.

Uraraka had lost all awareness of the battle that raged around her. She couldn't hear of feel anything anymore. All she felt was her ribs cracking and the fact that her lungs no longer could fill with air. She was fucked.

She fought to keep her brain on and the urge to not go down without a fight filled her slowing heart. With one last attempt, she managed to twist her right hand enough to place one single fingertip against Constrictor's thigh.

 _Yes. You're going down with me, you son of a bitch._

She used the last of her strength to kick against the ground, sending herself and her captor sailing weightlessly through the air, directly toward the cloud of fog. If she was going to die today, then she'd die being a hero. She wasn't the type to roll over and accept fate. She's better than that. She felt her left arm snap under the force of Constrictor's grip but the pain didn't register as she felt her head starting to nod off.

 _No! Stay awake! You have to until we get there. Just a little longer..._

She forced her mind to stay alert and she felt the villain's grip loosen on her a bit as he registered that he wasn't regaining his gravity and that she was carrying them both into the poisonous gas.

"Hey!" Constrictor screeched and began to shake her hard, "Put me down, now!"

The brunette seemed to be in a daze as she finally saw the first waves of purple fog wash over her. She tried to find a way to describe how it smelled or tasted but her mind was too tired for that now. She felt broken. Unfixable. Was this truly all she had lived to see? This is really the end? She'd blink out of existence in a warehouse parking lot? That doesn't seem very fair...

The air around them began to steadily turn a darker purple and Uraraka finally felt her quirk starting to fade away from her. The villain had released her completely by now and he was floating singularly, fighting to get out of the fog. Desperately and aimlessly. But in a split second, Uraraka felt her quirk release without her command and both of them fell to heaps on the ground. The villain immediately stood up and ran for the clear air but Uraraka didn't really notice he'd gone away.

She breathed deep, letting her body recover a bit from the unimaginably tight squeeze that Constrictor had inflicted on her. Her lungs ached horribly and her breath sounded wheezy. She rolled over onto her back and stared at the swirling fog above her. It was an odd feeling to her that she was watching what would ultimately cause her death float so innocently over her head. Such a pretty shade of purple…

She lifted her unbroken arm to twist some of the purple haze around it and she reveled in its curls and swirls. She couldn't tell if she was already feeling the effects of the toxin or if her brain had taken some damage from Constrictor, but she felt cheerful inside her head. Her body was broken but her mind seemed to bloom.

She turned her head to see through the haze. Deku was trying to escape from fighting Viper, his green eyes resting almost exclusively on Uraraka's brown ones. Uraraka reflected on when she first met Deku. It was so innocent and cute. Now she looked at him and saw a good man. A strong man that worked hard, loved all, and smiled despite the despair he witnessed daily. But right now, he wasn't smiling. He was crying. She frowned innocently. Was he crying over her?

She felt her mind beginning to slip a little but she didn't put much effort into deciphering why. Where was she anyway? Why does everything hurt? She turned away from Deku to look down at herself and saw her ripped hero costume. Had she been fighting? What happened?

She turned her head again and saw an explosion so large and so powerful that it brushed the hair on her forehead a little. Bakugo… She saw his blonde hair and giggled despite herself. She never really got the chance to feel just how dense those spikes were, did she? She felt her fingers on her right hand rub over the cold ground. She wondered briefly what it was like to touch his face and she sighed forlornly. He was so devastatingly handsome. He was smart and funny and perfectly angry. Her heart broke in her chest and tears streamed down the side of her face and over her ears.

 _I'm dying… I'm dying, aren't I?_

Her foggy mind seemed to struggle to stay aware of herself and her situation as pieces of the fight came and went. She finally saw a man that looked vaguely familiar. He's not Bakugo or Deku… Who is he?

The man laughed maniacally as he fought off the heroes. She couldn't make out what he was saying, all she could piece together was that he was bad. Very bad. And with that, her body began to move on it's own. It was like an instinct kicked in that she had no control over and she could feel a half-smile on her lips.

She rolled over on all fours, her broken arm dragging along the ground as she slowly crawled, all the noise of the battle dying around her until she crawled in dead silence. Whoever he was…

 _I have to touch him, don't I? Or he'll hurt my friends..._

A pair of red eyes watched Uraraka do the most heroic thing he'd ever seen in his life. Despite how mangled she was, she was still trying to fight. She crawled slowly, her brown eyes focused on one target in their haze. She stumbled a few times and she cried in agony when she fell on her broken arm, but only a few seconds would go by before she was on the move again, like something much bigger than herself was pulling on her strings.

"Uraraka…" Bakugo said softly to himself, his heart wrenching, as he dodged an attack from Viper. The blonde tore his gaze away from the brunette to see Deku was locked in Viper's sights now. This was his chance. He took a deep gulp of clean air before he launched himself headfirst into the gas cloud. He reached her quickly and he gently scooped up the brunette before running at top speed away from the action. His lungs screamed at him to breath but he held firm. He wouldn't be able to save her if he died with her.

"Bakugo…" Uraraka's voice was heartbreakingly tender as she reached up to trace the lines of his jaw. "You have the prettiest eyes." Her hand reached his hairline and she ran her fingertips gently through the spikes on the side of his head, "Your hair… It's just as coarse as I thought it would be." She sighed as she ran her hand back over the top of his head and let her fingertips trail back down on the other side of his face.

Bakugo finally burst out of the cloud, far away from the action of Deku grappling with Viper. He fell to his knees, laying Uraraka across his legs and leaning her head on his shoulder. "Urara-" He choked on the word. "You're going to be just fine." He felt his eyes growing wet and for once, he didn't care. "Just hang in there." His voice shook with nerves and fear as he began feeling around his utility belt for any first aid items.

"Go." Her voice was small but her eyes stared at him intently through a smokey gleam.

The blonde was shocked and he stilled, "Go? Why?! I can't leave you!"

"This is your big moment," Uraraka breathed and turned her head to look at where the fight with Viper was. "The bad guy is getting away. You have to capture him."

"No," Bakugo said the word with all the emotion of his heart. "I'm staying with you."

"For me." She breathed and turned her eyes back on him. "Go blast him. For me." She smiled so softly and genuinely. Like it was the last time she'd ever smile. "I'll be fine."

"No!" Bakugo shouted at her. "I'm not leaving!"

"Bakugo!" A male voice yelled but the blonde didn't dare look away from the girl in his lap. He could hear the footsteps approaching but the blonde was so enraptured in Uraraka's smiling face that he couldn't bear to look away.

"Bakugo," Kirishima fell to his knees in front of the blonde and brunette. "Oh my god…" The red-haired hero looked at the two broken people collapsed in the dirt. "Oh my… Oh my god."

Bakugo tightened his arm that held Uraraka close to him. "She's badly hurt. She's not…" His voice cracked. "I can't… I can't save her, Kirishima."

There was a long moment of silence as the sound of the battle drifted further and further away. Uraraka used the hand on her unbroken arm to reach up again to touch the single tear that dripped from the blonde's eyes. "Please… For me. You have to... You have to end this."

Kirishima looked at the blonde and understood what Uraraka meant, "I'll get her to safety, Bakugo. I'll get her to a medic. You have to go after them."

"I'm not going!" Bakugo roared and glared daggers at his friend. "I will _not_ leave her."

Kirishima had never seen Bakugo like this. There had never been a moment in their entire friendship when Bakugo had looked so emotional and menacing. The blonde hero was always, _always_ stoic and devoid of any meaningful tone. But right now... The infamous and heartless Katsuki Bakugo was an open book. It seemed like in this single moment, he was feeling every emotion under the sun. Kirishima didn't know what to do or what to say. He sat back on his heels and felt his own heart break. "Bakugo…"

"Go…" Uraraka croaked and rested her hand against Bakugo's chest but was too weak to hold it there long. "Please Bakugo… Please!" She coughed and blood coated her teeth. "You have to do it. I'll be fine!"

The blonde took a long moment to look at her face. He admired the strength in her eyes. Despite it all, she was calling on him to be her hero. Even if he couldn't save her life, she wanted him to save her dignity. And she was right… If Viper doesn't go down today, her death would be in vain. "I will." He leaned forward and placed his lips gently on the top of her forehead, taking a long second to smell the sweet smell in her hair and trying to etch it into his mind forever. "I'll go... But only because... You asked."

"Because I demanded," She sighed contentedly, "But now I'm happy." She rolled her head back and slumped in his arms. "I'm tired now…"

Bakugo choked on a sob and forcefully swallowed it again. "God damn it, roundface… Uraraka. I am so fucking sorry." He looked up at Kirishima with an indescribable look. "Please… Kirishima, please."

"Go," Kirishima nodded at the blonde and came to take Uraraka from his arms. "Go get him."

Both men rose to feet, Kirishima cradling Uraraka in his arms now, and they nodded an unspoken agreement between them. Bakugo's eyes fell on Uraraka's closed eyes and he clenched his teeth, hiding his teary eyes behind his hair, before he turned away and blasted off.

Kirishima pulled Uraraka closer to him and watched as Bakugo took off after Deku and Viper. "He loves you, you know?" He looked down at the brunette to find that her head was rolled back over the top of his arm and her limbs were drooped. "I'll do everything I can to save you, Uraraka. So you have the chance to hear it from him yourself."

* * *

 **Okay hear me out...**

 **I know you're freaking out right now, okay? Get up. Take a walk. Cool your head. Then leave a review and hate on me lmao.**

 **I know that this is a pretty sketch cliffhanger. I've experienced my fair share of slow-burn cliffhangers and I have to say, I really didn't have a choice. My initial plan was to NOT leave a cliffhanger but the chapter was getting extremely long. I normally write approximately 10-11 pages per chapter and I was on page 14 by the time I reached this stopping point. So... I left it on a cliffhanger. BUT DO NOT FRET MY DEARS, I WILL HAVE CHAPTER 19 OUT SOON, OKAY?!**

 **On an official side note, I was actually tearing up big time while writing this. I honestly _felt_ the emotions of each character as I was writing them. I was blubbering over my laptop and my (amazing) man walked in like "wtf are you crying about" and I was like "I FEEL LIKE I'M WATCHING SOMEONE DIE" and then he went out and bought beer so I could have a drink while I cried it out... He's a keeper. But all in all, it was a super fun chapter to write and I'm already a decent portion of the way through Chapter 19 (I stayed up all night after I was done with this chapter because inspiration was pumping in my veins and I just couldn't stop).**

 **If you didn't get a chance to head over to my profile yet, you should do that! I respond to all reviews on my profile page and I also have the link to my twitter account if you would like live updates on when new chapters will be posted and/or have conversations about any kacchako-ey things. If you head over to twitter, please make sure you say hello!**

 **As always, lovelies, I think you guys are the best and I totally understand if you hate my guts right now. In fact, I encourage you to hate my guts. Hate away my dears. ILY ALL!**

 **XOXOXOXO**


	19. Chapter 19

"As you can see just behind me, this is where the Keihin confrontation between heroes with the Edgeshot agency and villains from the Mamushi group occurred just four days ago," A young woman wearing a turtleneck dress spoke with confidence on the television screen, "They still have the area cordoned off as residual particles may still be present from Viper's poisonous gas. Authorities have released a statement saying that while Viper was able to escape, they believe that the clues left behind in the warehouse further behind me will be able to help them bring this wanted criminal to justice."

"And that is the latest from our ground crew in Keihin," The screen switched to another woman sitting at the same silver desk that Mina recognized from four days ago, "There is still no official word from the Edgeshot agency on the condition of Uravity, the gravity manipulation hero that single-handedly took down Constrictor, a high profile villain with a death toll of well over twenty. The latest update we received from her family was that she is still considered in critical condition. From all of us here in the studio and on the streets, we wish her all the best and look forward to her return to hero work." She nodded her head in recognition at the screen before flipping a page on her desk, "Now for the weather forecast."

Mina groaned loudly and slid down in her chair. She felt like she'd made this sofa chair her second home over the last four days. The sounds of hospital announcements rang in the background and she stared around the room at all the people that had spent the majority of their time here since Keihin. She caught sight of Uraraka's parents coming down the hallway from Uraraka's hospital room. They looked tired and stressed and she felt for them.

"Hey," A familiar voice grunted before falling into the chair beside her. "How are you holding up?"

Mina glanced to her left to see Kirishima flopped haphazardly in the chair beside her. He also looked tired and stressed. "I can't lie to you… Not great." She patted the red-head's arm. "How's our favorite hot-head?"

Kirishima huffed a sigh, "Same as yesterday. I found him sleeping at his desk this morning." The red-head finally straightened in the light green sofa chair and seemed to tense. "He literally won't listen to a single word I say."

"I know," Mina breathed out softly. "That guy is taking this way too far."

Kirishima grunted and stared down as he clasped his agitated hands in his lap, "He'll never forgive himself if she dies. He'll kill himself trying to bring Viper in." He scrunched his eyebrows at his hands, "I've tried everything, Mina. Literally everything. He won't even acknowledge me."

"I know," Mina breathed and rolled her head over the back of the chair. She reached her hands over the top of her head to stretch her aching shoulders and her eyes landed on a green-haired man that was slumped in a chair that was on the edge of the hallway toward Uraraka's hospital room. "Midoriya is just as bad."

Kirishima snorted at her comment, "Wonder why."

Mina reflexively slapped Kirishima's chest, "Shut the hell up!" She leaned her head over the arm of the chair so she could whisper to him, "He'll hear you, Kirishima. He's already taking this harder than Bakugo."

The red-head turned his eyes on the pink girl harshly but spoke with a hushed tone, "You can't be serious right now, Mina." He turned his gaze onto a Deku that looked utterly broken. "Yeah, he looks bad but Bakugo is literally working himself to death."

"Look at him, Kirishima," Mina tried to subtly indicate toward the man that was their topic of conversation, "I'll give you that Bakugo is working himself to death, but you can't argue with the fact that Deku is putting the entire blame for this on himself. I'm genuinely worried about him."

A nurse came from the hallway that Deku was stationed near and she cast a worried look down on the man that seemed crumpled up in the green hospital chair. Mina nodded her head at the one-sided interaction, "Looks like I'm not the only one who feels that way."

"Whatever," Kirishima muttered, his mind somewhere else. "Is there any news on Uraraka?"

Mina shook her head solemnly, "I wish there was. They still won't tell us anything."

"What about from her parents?" Kirishima saw the couple standing at the nurse's station. They'd been flown in by the Edgeshot agency the same night that Uraraka had been admitted to the hospital. Uraraka's mother was always crying and it never failed to break Kirishima's heart. The hospital waiting room had been chock full of people ever since. Everyone from high school had made an appearance, U.A. teachers brought flowers, and a bunch of Uraraka's old coworkers had stopped by as well.

Mina shook her head, "I don't think they know any more than we do."

"At least they're able to see her," Kirishima mumbled frustratedly. He hadn't seen Uraraka since he had collapsed with her in his arms in front of a bunch of medical personnel heroes that had arrived on the scene of the Keihin battle shortly after Bakugo had left them.

"I'm sure she's in bad shape," Mina breathed. "It's probably to help keep the media blackout."

"Yeah," Kirishima agreed with a shortened tone, "But we're her best friends!"

Mina ignored Kirishima's griping because she'd seen a few familiar faces come around the corner from the elevators. "Guys!" She smiled and waved.

Todoroki seemed stoic as ever when his eyes fell on the disheveled Deku. Asui's gaze soon followed and she patted Yaoyorozu's arm and pointed. Momo looked shocked and she elbowed Todoroki hard before dragging him along with her to squat in front of Deku.

Asui let the pair comfort their green-haired friend, opting to head Mina and Kirishima's way instead. "Hey guys," Her tongue poked out from the side of her mouth as she waved a hello. "Deku doesn't look good, does he?"

"We were just talking about it," Mina hushed her tone and sat up in her chair, gesturing to the one beside her. "Come sit with us."

Asui nodded and took the offered seat, "Where's Bakugo?"

Kirishima snorted and shook his head, "Working."

"Really?" Asui glanced at her phone's lock screen, "It's eight at night on a friday. Why is he still at work?"

Kirishima looked miffed, "You know how he is." The red-head tilted his head away from the pair of women and rested his chin on the palm of his hand.

Asui caught Mina casting a sad look at their male counterpart and the frog hero felt herself peak with confusion. The last time she'd spoken with Uraraka, she was under the impression that Bakugo was harboring quite the crush on her floaty friend and it was clearly reciprocated. "Has he come to visit the hospital at all?"

Both the man and woman that Asui was seated with were completely silent and they seemed to avoid eye contact with her at all costs. "Guys," Asui pressed with a questioning tone, "What's going on?"

"Asui," Kirishima spoke in a low but clear tone, "Bakugo is working through something right now. He'll join us when he's ready."

Asui sat still for a moment as she mulled over Kirishima's reply but eventually she slowly nodded her head and didn't press the issue any further. "Is there any news?"

"Nope," Both Mina and Kirishima murmured but Mina is the one who carried on to say, "We still don't know anything. I really hope that she'll be alright."

"Uraraka is a fighter," Asui shrugged, "She'll pull through. She always does."

The frog girl's simple response seemed to lighten the gloomy mood between the three heroes. Kirishima lifted his face out of his hand and Mina finally pushed herself to sit in her chair upright again. The conversation seemed to hit an awkward stage where nobody knew how to respond but Asui reached for her purse and smiled at everyone in the waiting room, "I brought some cards, who wants to play a game? I think we all need to lighten up a bit."

Everyone in the room seemed to glance at each other for approval but Yaoyorozu was the first to speak, "That sounds like a wonderful idea, Asui. I'll play!"

* * *

"Oi."

The call went unanswered as Bakugo blinked his eyes hard to focus on the open folder in front of him. It was the latest intelligence report he'd received from the ground crew in Keihin. The folder was full of photographs from the crime scene but he seemed stuck on one photo in particular. There was an evidence photo marked exhibit 44 that showed Uraraka's helmet from her costume. It was smashed underneath a long sheet of concrete and the earpiece was snapped in two as it poked out from the edge of the concrete. His stomach flipped at the sight and he felt sick as he crumpled it in his hand.

"Oi!" The call came again but remained unanswered.

The blonde reached up his hand to rub his forehead and his palm covered his eyes. How the fuck did he manage to let Viper escape? The scene replayed over and over in his mind and then it played once again for good measure. It was an unending, self-tormenting cycle.

"Bakugo!" The voice was sharp as a blade and Bakugo felt a flick of pain against his right shoulder.

"What the fuck do you want?!" The self-loathing hero snapped and dropped his hand to turn angry eyes on his unwelcome guest.

Edgeshot was halfway unwoven as he seemed to float beside Bakugo, one of his tendrils had flicked Bakugo moments before. "Go home."

"No," The blonde replied with a short tone. "I'll go home when the job is done."

Edgeshot hovered for a moment as he watched one of his best employees turn a tired gaze back to the folder splayed across the desk. "It's not a suggestion. It's an order."

"I said no," Bakugo snapped with a little more bite in his tone. He subconsciously reached up to rub his left eye and run a hand through his hair that was losing its perky spikes in place of droopy flatness. "I'm not done yet."

Edgeshot slowly weaved himself back together until he was standing beside the blonde's desk. The top-ranking hero sighed heavily and circled around to sit in Bakugo's guest chair that was opposite the blonde. "I know how this feels," The hero started as he leaned into the back of the chair and attempted to catch Bakugo's gaze, "You're blaming yourself for Uraraka's condition. We have all been there, Bakugo. It comes with the job."

The explosion hero ignored the other man and glared hard as he discreetly hid the photo of Uraraka's broken helmet in his cargo pants pocket. He grit his teeth and decided against a reply.

"Capturing Viper isn't going to fix her, Bakugo." Edgeshot cocked his head and stared hard at the blonde. "She's fighting for her life right now and you haven't clocked out in four days. You haven't even taken off your costume. Don't you think you need to go and support her?"

"Stop." Bakugo breathed and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Why?" Edgeshot held out this hands questioningly. "What's the point in working this hard? What is so important about capturing Viper that it trumps her recovery?"

The blonde slammed a closed fist on the top of his desk and breathed out a shaky breath, his left hand covering his eyes. "I… I can't go see her until the job is done. I have to bring that son of bitch in myself if I don't kill him in the process."

Edgeshot was silent for a very long time as he looked at the subtly quivering blonde. He seemed to consider his options before speaking again, "We captured Cameo and Constrictor is dead. That's a huge win. Sure, it would have been the best case scenario to capture Viper as well, but we can't always have our cake and eat it too. That's the way the world of heroism works, Bakugo."

"I know that!" Bakugo snapped and raised his voice. "If that fucking dipshit Deku hadn't intruded on the fight, none of this would have ever happened!" The blonde suddenly rose from his desk chair and turned his back to Edgeshot as he glowered through the window at the city that was now cloaked in darkness. "I have to finish this. I have to be the one to bring that fucking noodle-neck in. I… I promised…"

Edgeshot sighed deeply and watched Bakugo's fists clench and unclench a few times. His eyes fell to the grenadiers that were toppled behind the desk and he saw the scorch marks lining the sides. If the state of his costume and his person were any indication of the unresolved turmoil in the blonde hero's mind, then it was Edgeshot's responsibility to prevent it from surfacing in a way that could harm the agency as a whole.

"You need to rest, Bakugo." The top-ranking pro leaned forward in his chair to rest his elbows on his knees. "I cannot allow you to remain at work any longer. You're becoming a liability. You need a good night of rest, a good meal, and some time to recover from a traumatic experience."

"I'm fine!" Bakugo turned suddenly, his red eyes sparking with betrayal. "I can handle this shit!"

"No," Edgeshot stood up and shook his head, "I'm calling an audible on this, Bakugo. You will go home and rest. I'm also going to require you to get a psychological examination before returning to work again. You need to learn how to cope."

"That's such bullshit!" Bakugo tensed and felt his hands asking for an excuse to spark. "I'm not leaving!"

Edgeshot crossed his arms, "This is not a request, Bakugo. You will take at minimum two weeks of rest as well. You need to recuperate. You can leave this case in the capable hands of the agency. It's your turn to take a break."

Bakugo felt his heart surge to his throat, "Edgeshot-"

"Stop it, Bakugo." Edgeshot held up a hand. "Keep it up if you want, but I'll only make it harder for you to return to work." He met Bakugo's pleading gaze, "I'm sorry to do this, but you have a lot that you haven't processed yet. You need to take some time."

The blonde shook his head and hid his expression behind his hair, "I promised… I promised Uraraka that I'd finish this for her. I can't leave now. Not when I haven't been able to do that one thing."

Edgeshot's face didn't hint at the pity he was harboring for Bakugo's situation, he simply began gathering up the folder of photos on the desk. "There is no shame in taking a little time to rest and start fresh. I'm sorry to do this, but I can't let you continue like this."

Bakugo felt like a stone had been dropped on his chest as he locked eyes with his serious boss. The unspoken words that passed between them made Bakugo realize that no argument would change Edgeshot's mind. The blonde suddenly felt tired and defeated as he grit his teeth and snatched his grenadiers off the ground to shove them into his duffel bag. "Whatever," He grumbled and let a quiet string of curses leave his lips as he stormed out of his office, kicking the door on his way out.

The entire journey out of the building felt like a blur as he grappled with the reality that he couldn't do any hero work whatsoever for two weeks at the minimum. But that wasn't the worst part of his predicament. Now he had all the time in the world to think about Uraraka. He'd managed to push her situation out of his head for four days now and not thinking about it is exactly what he wanted.

Kirishima had tried to talk to him about it several times all week long but Bakugo had pretty much ignored him outright. Bakugo couldn't bear to even think about her smile because the image of her smiling at him with a bloody mouth and clouded eyes would always take over his mind. He could still feel her fingertips in his hair and he could still smell the sweet smell of her hair when he kissed her forehead. It was literally eating him from the inside out.

Now he had ample time to do nothing but sit around and regret. It was an unbreakable curse.

He knew that everyone was basically standing guard for her at the hospital but the blonde couldn't bring himself to join them. They were all just sitting around and waiting on her to get better but he knew himself well enough to know that he couldn't do the same. At least he was able to distract himself at work but that was no longer an option. Bakugo also knew that Deku would be at the hospital and the blonde knew that he wouldn't be able to prevent himself from hurting the green-haired asshat if they crossed paths. Bakugo was done letting Uraraka down so he'd stay away from the hospital for her sake.

When the blonde finally pushed open the agency doors and exited to the street, his eyes fell on a man and woman before he saw anything else. The man had a camera hoisted onto his shoulder while the woman was talking and laughing with him. Bakugo quickly averted his eyes and began a brisk walk away, praying they wouldn't see him. Unfortunately, his luck had completely run out for the day.

"Ground Zero!" The man called suddenly and he began to give chase, the woman hurrying ahead of him.

"Ground Zero!" It was the woman's voice now and she had nearly caught up to the hero. "Could you please provide a comment on the Keihin encounter?" She caught up to the hero and waved to the camera man to hurry up. She pointed her microphone at the blonde but when he didn't reply, she brought it back to her lips, "What about Uravity? Are there any updates on her condition? Will she make a full recovery?"

Bakugo sneered at the reporter and glared at her with a fury he couldn't put into words, "Fuck off."

The woman ignored him and pressed on as she tried to keep up her pace beside the fast moving blonde, "Are there any leads on the whereabouts of Viper?" She cocked her head as she finally observed the state of Bakugo's person, "Have you been working non-stop?"

"I said fuck off!" Bakugo snapped at her and glared daggers at the camera man. "I'm not going to answer any of your fucking questions. Leave me the hell alone."

"Can you at least provide a comment on Uravity's condition?" The journalist pressed hard and shoved the microphone closer to Bakugo. "There has been no word from her family or the Edgeshot agency. You're her partner, are you not?"

"I'm not," He snapped. "We went into that fight together by chance." His nerves frayed as he realized he'd just answered one of her questions. "This is over." He shoved away the microphone and adjusted his duffel bag.

The reporter waved off the camera man and indicated for him to turn it off, "Off the record?" She put the microphone down. "Will she be alright?"

"Look," Bakugo stopped to turn the full fury of his gaze directly on her, "I don't fucking know and I don't fucking care. All I know is that Viper is still out there and I'm going to fucking get that asshole. Leave me the hell alone before I blow you across Tokyo." He sneered at them before turning away and mumbling, "Fucking pests."

"Geez," The reporter muttered and crossed her arms, "What a jerk." She turned to the camera man, "Did you get any of that?"

Bakugo willed his tired body to hurry down the sidewalk. An exhaustion was taking over him and he still had a long walk home. He stopped to wave down a cab, figuring it would be the better option.

"Hey," The woman reappeared beside him as he tried to flag down a taxi, "Everyone is worried about Uravity, so I'm sorry for pushing it so hard. We all just want to know if she's going to be alright."

Bakugo ignored her and felt a spike of annoyance that was brimming on actual anger. He finally managed to catch the attention of a cab driver and was satisfied to see the car making its way toward him.

"She did a heroic thing," The reporter tried to get Bakugo to look her way, "And so did you. We're not trying to annoy you, we're just trying to inform the public."

"Well you're annoying me and fuck the public," Bakugo snapped harshly. "Get lost, extra."

"It must be nice to be such a jerk to everyone you meet," She commented back dryly. "But I'm not so easy to get rid of."

The cab pulled up to the curb and Bakugo popped open the door to toss his duffel bag in, "Listen lady," He rested his forearm on the top of the open door, "I don't give a fuck what you think of me. If you really want the full story, ask her fucking stupid-ass boyfriend. Not me." The blonde jeered at the woman one last time before climbing into the back of the cab and slamming the door shut. He glared at her through the window as the driver pulled away.

He mulled over the encounter from his place in the backseat. He felt a semblance of satisfaction at the fact that the reporter called Uraraka by her hero name. He hadn't really thought about 'the public' that much since the fight on Monday night but as he whipped out his phone to check the news, he was surprised to see that the fight was still on every front page.

" _Uravity Still Fighting for Life": Sources close to the Keihin Heroine say_

 _Viper on the Loose while Uravity Condition is still Unknown_

 _URAVITY: The Origins of the Keihin Heroine - Who is she and where did she come from?_

 _Unseen and Unheard - Where is Ground Zero and Uravity days after Keihin incident?_

 _Deku puts America on hold: "I'm staying for Uravity" American source confirms_

Bakugo grit his teeth as he scrolled through the headlines and stopped on a screen-grab of himself fighting Viper after he'd left Uraraka with Kirishima. Keihin had been his greatest failure as a hero and he reflected on the ending of the fight.

Deku had given chase as the Mamushi leader began his escape. Bakugo had caught up to them while Deku tried to find a good opening to smash him. The blonde regretted his actions at the time. He'd been too angry and hurt to think rationally. In hindsight, he should have tried to work with Deku to bring Viper in but their anger with each other over Uraraka's downfall had worked against them. Both men felt like they had to be the one to bring down Viper as a way to make it up to her but in reality, they both spent more time trying to beat the other and Viper was able to slip away.

Bakugo loathed himself for his naivety. As much as he hated Deku, the guy was a damn good fighter and they both knew better than to let their emotions over Uraraka get in the way of what was most important. It was because of their anger for each other that they lost and they had nothing to show for it but Uraraka's plight.

"Sir," The cab driver started hesitantly and glanced at his passenger through the rear-view mirror. "I just wanted to say that I-"

"Save your breath," Bakugo growled and turned his gaze out the window. "I don't want to hear it."

The cab driver shut his mouth and seemed to take stock of the blonde's attitude. The drive continued for a while in silence but the cab driver worked up the nerve to speak again as they neared Bakugo's apartment building, "You're a fine hero, Ground Zero. Even though Viper got away this time," The driver glanced in the mirror again to see Bakugo's red eyes glaring at him, "He won't get away from you again. Just know that I'll be rooting for you when that day comes."

Praise was the last thing Bakugo felt like he deserved and the expectations that this simple cab driver was putting on him was the straw that broke the camel's back. "You don't fucking know me!" He half-shouted at the man, his palms growing hot with sweat. "You don't have a fucking clue what it's like to do my job! All you do is drive a shitty cab so what would you know about watching your friends die? Do you have any idea what it's like to be powerless? Or powerful? No, you're just a shitty cab driver."

"So you say," The driver rounded a corner as the apartment building came into sight. "You're right that I drive a cab every day but I know a hurting person when I see one." The driver shrugged and glanced in the mirror again to see Bakugo gritting his teeth and hiding his eyes behind his hair. "Uravity isn't dead, you know that right? The Ground Zero I know wouldn't be this hard on himself. He'd get back on the horse, accept what happened, and kick some villain ass."

Bakugo had no response to this so he only sniffed as the driver pulled over in front of his apartment. The blonde grabbed his duffel bag and kicked open the door. He dug in his pockets for his wallet but the driver waved his hand at him, "Don't worry about it. Just try and remember what I said, eh?"

Bakugo blinked at the man for a moment before digging out a few bills and tossing them onto the driver's lap, "Don't tell me what to fucking do."

"That's more like it," The driver quirked an eyebrow but took the cash. "And tell Uravity to get well soon. I can't wait to see her get back to kicking some villai-"

"Yeah, yeah," Bakugo growled before exiting the cab and slamming the door shut. He didn't look back at the cab driver as he walked toward his building. He simply mulled over the short conversation. That fucking idiot had been right. Uraraka isn't dead, at least not yet. Truthfully, he had to give her credit for it too. That woman is one tough chick and he hadn't really considered the bravery it took for her to continue fighting in the face of certain death. And she had smiled the whole damn time.

"Fucking hell," Bakugo muttered to himself as he unlocked the door to the apartment building. Perhaps he was right to think that she was foolish for willingly going into the poison fog but damn, that took guts that he doubted he even had. He took the crumpled photo he's stolen from the folder out of his pocket as he walked down the hallway. She'd sacrificed everything to help him take down Viper and that was enough for him to finally accept that she deserved his respect as a hero.

When he'd finally made it into his apartment, he dropped the duffel by the door and stripped off his costume before collapsing on his bed. His curtains were open and he looked out at the moon from where he lay. Seeing it somehow made him want to see that roundface girl even more. As his eyes slowly closed, he promised himself he'd stop by the hospital tomorrow. Not to see the others, but for her.

* * *

When Uraraka's brown eyes opened, it was dark and quiet. Everything hurt and her eyes felt crusty. She tried to rub them but the moment she tried to move her arms, her entire body seemed to jolt with pain. Her teeth clenched together and she groaned in discomfort. Her chest hurt more than anything and her throat felt scratchy. Despite how badly everything hurt, her mind felt foggy and she wondered where she was.

She slowly turned her head, fighting the agony to do so. She could hear a quiet and methodical beeping before he eyes fell on a machine that measured her heart rate and an assortment of IV bags that were attached to her arm.

She was in the hospital... She furrowed her eyebrows at the machines beside her bed. Her mind seemed muddled and fragmented as she squinted at the machines. She tried to move her arms again but found it to be too painful and her torso seemed to throb with every breath. "Why…" She tried to speak and found her voice to be hoarse and strained.

The door to the room opened up a bit and let in a blinding white light. A nurse poked her head inside and smiled widely. She hurried in and shut the door behind her before turning on the light. Uraraka snapped her eyes closed as she adjusted to the brightness.

"You're awake!" The nurse said excitedly. "Oh my, that's wonderful!" She rushed to the bedside and glanced at the screen projecting her vitals. "Your heart seems to be getting better."

Uraraka finally let her eyes reopen and she licked her dry lips, "What…" Her voice was scratchy and her throat felt gummy so she tried to clear it, but it only aggravated the pain in her chest. She tensed with discomfort as a fresh wave of pain washed over her.

"Don't speak," The nurse cautioned and rested a cool hand against Uraraka's arm. "You were in a battle with the villains from the Mamushi group. Do you know what I'm talking about?" The nurse indicated for Uraraka to try and nod her head as an answer.

The brunette tried to use her brain but found the task difficult. She knew what the nurse was talking about but the memory as so… muddy.

"Don't worry about that right now," The nurse mumbled softly. "You just need to focus on getting well. You sustained major injuries and you inhaled poison gas."

Poison gas. That rang a bell that Uraraka wasn't ready to ring. Images of purple fog swirling around her choked her mind. She thought she was dead. A thick tide of memories seemed to flood her head and her heart rate soared in her chest.

"Miss," The nurse grew anxious and rested her hand against Uraraka's forehead. "You need to relax. Everything is okay. You are alright." She nodded reassuringly, "You survived. Ground Zero and Red Riot saved you."

Uraraka felt tears brimming in her eyes, "I…" Her voice felt like it was broken. "They…"

"Shh," The nurse pat the top of her head and smiled softly, "Everyone is alright. You need to calm down and try to rest. You're badly injured and you need your rest."

Uraraka gulped painfully and tried to relax her labored breathing. She quietly watched the nurse cross the room to open a drawer and retrieve a syringe. "I'm going to give you a sedative to help you sleep."

Uraraka shook her head and felt a severe pain travel down her spine at the action. She grit her teeth as she rode the pain out before staring back at the confused nurse. "No," She coarsely muttered.

"You really need to let your body heal," The nurse urged as she came closer.

"No," Uraraka felt another wash of agony but she held her ground. "Water…"

The nurse blinked at her for a minute before she walked over to the sink on the other end of the room and filled up a paper cup with water. She carried it back and set the syringe down on a tray before putting the cup to Uraraka's lips.

The taste of fresh water was a godsend and Uraraka drank the entire cup. Everything hurt but at least she felt like she could manage to speak without so much effort. "What day is it?" Every word was a challenge to say and her voice was still hoarse.

"You've been here for four days," The nurse replied. "It's around four in the morning right now." She glanced at the watch on her wrist. "Your parents are outside, would you like me to get them for you?"

"No," Uraraka replied quickly. "I just…" She grit her teeth and let another wave of pain pass, "I want to be alone for a while." She breathed hard after finishing the sentence, her chest seemed to tremble with every breath.

"Well," The nurse seemed to accept her response, "Thankfully we were able to counteract Viper's venom with the help of a local hero's quirk. However, you had already sustained quite a bit of damage from it. We're still not sure just much is beyond our help at this point. You may have irreparable issues after you're done healing. We suspect that your lungs will never be what they were," The nurse gave her a bleak smile. "We also couldn't fully repair your ribs and arm," She indicated to the cast on Uraraka's left arm. "But with time, we expect to see those return to normal. You're not out of the woods just yet, Uravity, but we are feeling optimistic."

Uraraka took a shaky breath and nodded her head slowly. "The battle…" She tried to get another full sentence out.

"Viper managed to get away," The nurse knew what Uraraka was alluding to. "Ground Zero and Deku made it out alright." The nurse glanced back at the door. "Actually, Deku has been waiting for you since Monday. He hasn't left even once. He's very anxious to see you."

"Please," Uraraka shook her head, "Don't tell him."

"That you're awake?" The nurse raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"No one," Uraraka wretched over the effort it took to speak. "I just want to…"

"Be alone." The nurse finished for her. "I understand. I'll keep my mouth shut," She patted Uraraka's good arm lightly. "The doctor will be around shortly to check on you, okay?"

Uraraka nodded weakly and let her head relax on the pillow propped behind her head. "Thank you," She croaked and finally let the tears in her eyes drip down her face.

The nurse smiled sadly at the female hero before exiting the room quietly, shutting the light off again on her way out. Uraraka watched her leave and the moment that the door shut again, she cried. It was the most pain she had ever endured but she couldn't stop the tears. Her heart was a mess of diverse emotions that went to war with one another.

She felt more alone than she ever had as she worked through the events of the battle in her head. She truly thought that it was the end for her and waking up again felt like a rebirth. A second chance at life. Somehow, she had gotten lucky. Something decided that her time on earth wasn't done yet and she felt a swell of solemness in her heart. It was time for change. Big change.

Her mind cleared steadily as the hours ticked by. The sun rose on that Saturday morning to a heartbroken Uraraka. The doctor and nurses made their regular rounds and every time they entered the room, they found Uraraka looking wistfully out the window, her mind somewhere else.

While the physical pain of her injuries didn't subside, her mind was at work. She worked tirelessly to clear the blurry moments in her mind after she had forced Constrictor into the fog. Her fingers seemed to tingle as she recalled Bakugo rescuing her from the poisonous gas. She blushed profusely as she remembered the way she'd run her fingers through his blonde hair and tickled her fingers over his cheek. The urge to do it had been overpowering and she hadn't even tried to stop herself. She just… did it.

What did that mean to her? The feelings she simply let loose in what she thought would be her last moments with a man she once resented. He'd held her so close to him and he'd comforted her as she weakened. He had refused to leave her.

" _I"m not going! I will not leave her!"_

She could hear his voice saying those words over and over in her mind as she considered their meaning. His voice had cracked and strained in his distress. She had to practically beg for him to go after Viper and he still seemed reluctant. She sighed a painful breath as she struggled to comprehend the way he'd been there for her in what they both thought would be her last moments. She hadn't wanted him to leave either, but she knew that the job they'd gone there to do wasn't done, so she sent him away.

What did that mean?

She felt a war within herself as her mind went to Deku. She hadn't spared a moment to think about him when she thought she would die. If she was going to be honest with herself, she hadn't cared. When she was laying across Bakugo's legs, looking down the barrel of death, she hadn't considered Deku at all. She hadn't asked to see him or wondered where he was. He'd been absent from her mind completely. Why didn't she think about him?

She stared at the city outside the window as the realizations and questions washed over her and she cried for a long time about them. She felt like she was grieving for herself. This was the only second chance she'd ever get and she wanted to use it properly. It was time.

It was late afternoon before she turned to look at the nurse that had greeted her early that morning, "I would like to see Deku please."

* * *

 **I'll be real with you all. This chapter was hands down the most difficult one to write so far. The writers block just wouldn't go away tbh. But I got through it and I think I am happy with how it turned out. It's a skeptical kind of happy but still relieved I managed to push through it. I swear, these chapters are getting longer and longer. The first chapter of this fic is like 5k words and now I'm averaging around 6500 words. It's crazy.**

 **But with that, the cliffhanger is OVER. Yes, yes, Uraraka (best girl) does in fact live to fight another day. But only by the skin of her teeth :)**

 **NOTE TO EVERYONE: I just want to give a quick shout-out to all of you as well. I got 27 reviews on the last chapter! I mean, wow! I am SO LUCKY AND I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO THANK YOU ALL ENOUGH! You guys are so supportive, thoughtful, kind, and patient. I really can't stress to you how much I adore each and every one of you, even the readers who don't leave a review. I'm so glad that there are so many people who read this and enjoy it. It makes me feel so... whole. Thank you. Okay, I'll get off of my soapbox now. (i love you guys so much)**

 **As always, I appreciate all of you and I do respond to all reviews (even guest reviews!) on my profile page! Head over there after this and let me thank you individually! I'll see you all very soon with Chapter 20!**

 **XOXOXOXO**


	20. Chapter 20

Kirishima was in the lobby of the hospital ordering coffee for himself and the handful of other visitors when a blur of disgruntled blonde hair passed through his peripheral vision. He whipped his head around as he held out some cash to the barista and his jaw nearly dropped, "Bakugo?"

The blonde didn't slow down until he approached the hospital desk. "I'm looking for Uravity's room."

"Oi!" Kirishima called as he waited for the barista to give him his change, "Bakugo!" He waved as the blonde tried to ignore him. "Oi! If you'll help me carry these, I'll show you where she is!"

"Ignore him," Bakugo muttered to the nurse manning the front desk of the hospital.

"Hey," Kirishima jogged across the lobby to meet his friend, "I'm so happy to see you, man!" He clapped Bakugo on the back and grinned. "Everyone's upstairs. Want to just tag along with me?"

Bakugo grimaced at the cheerful attitude from Kirishima, "The fuck are you so hyped about?"

"You!" Kirishima gestured to the blonde. "You're here! I honestly didn't think you'd show up!"

Bakugo gave Kirishima the most flat expression he could muster, "If I'm so unwanted then I guess I'll just fucking leave." The blonde had a sour taste in his mouth as he turned back toward the doors.

"No!" Kirishima snatched his friend by the bicep and yanked him back, "That's not what I meant, dude. I'm just really happy you're here." He jutted his thumb toward the pop-up coffee shop, "Want one? I'm buying."

Bakugo was feeling impatient. He didn't come here to hang out with the others, he came to see how Uraraka was doing and that's it. "Fuck off. What floor is she on?"

The nurse working the station cut in with an antsy smile, "Sixteen, sir. But she's not accepting any visitors at this time."

The blonde blinked dumbly, "She's awake?"

"No," Kirishima shook his head softly, "Well, to be honest, we don't know anything at all. The doctors won't say anything to us about it."

Bakugo grunted before shaking his arm out of Kirishima's grip, "Whatever."

"Come on," Kirishima nudged the blonde with his elbow, "Help a man out, would ya? I can't carry all those drinks by myself."

"That's shitty," Bakugo replied harshly and turned toward the elevators.

"I'll make you a deal," Kirishima shot back, "I'll make sure everyone leaves you alone if you help."

Bakugo's ears perked a little and he stopped. It was a tempting offer. "Fuck," He breathed and turned back to his nusience of a friend, "Hurry the fuck up, Kirishima."

Kirishima couldn't stop the gentle grin on his lips. Bakugo seemed… normal-ish. It was refreshing to see the blonde's regular scowl and to hear the f-word used in it's typical Bakugo context. When he saw his partner at work the day before, the story had been entirely different. It had been clear that Bakugo was blaming himself for Uraraka's circumstance and he seemed intent on working himself to death. But the blonde had finally showered and gotten some much-needed rest. Kirishima knew that cranky Bakugo was better than pitiful Bakugo and whatever had happened since the last time they saw each other, Kirishima was grateful for it.

The red-head guided his grouchy friend across the lobby to the coffee shop and nodded at the barista who was slaving over the large order Kirishima had placed minutes before, "Could you add another? Just a black coffee." He turned toward Bakugo to see the blonde frowning, "It's the least I can do, man."

"Yeah whatever," Bakugo clenched his teeth and glanced at the elevators, "What's up with roundface?"

Kirishima shrugged, "I'll be honest with you, I don't know. Nobody does."

Bakugo didn't reply. It was an odd feeling to be in the hospital after everything that had happened. A part of him felt antsy and another part of him felt relieved. But he was still nervous as hell. He didn't know what he was supposed to do. Sit around and wait? His chest twisted painfully as he pictured Uraraka in a hospital bed, fighting for her life. He briefly wondered if he should have brought something for her.

"I'm just glad you're here," Kirishima nodded a thanks to the barista as she offered him the first set of coffees in a cup holder, "Take these, would you?" He passed off the drinks to the grouchy blonde. "Uraraka will be happy to see you when she wakes up."

Bakugo frowned at the coffee in his hands, "If she wakes up." The words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop them. He ducked his head a bit and looked away in shame, mentally kicking himself for the slip-up.

"Dude," Kirishima stopped trying to organize the next cup holder and turned to his friend, "She's going to wake up." He tried to catch Bakugo's gaze but the blonde was dodging expertly, "And you really, really need to stop blaming yourself."

"I didn't get the fucking job done," Bakugo shook his head softly and turned his back to Kirishima. "It's fucking bullshit."

Kirishima stood back for a moment and sighed, his mind trying to scrounge up something to encourage the frustrated blonde, "Bakugo, you know I'd never lie to you. This is not your fault. Uraraka is going to be fine, I'm sure of it. She's not going to hate you for letting Viper get away either. She'll just be happy that you're alright and that she gets a chance to get some payback on Viper herself. Don't start thinking about her the same way Deku does. She's tough and all she wants is individuality. She'll be happy to see you."

Bakugo stood with his back to Kirishima for a long time as he thought over Kirishima's comments. That fucking hair-brained moron was a damn good friend and Bakugo could almost punch him for it. Kirishima always knew the right thing to say that got him to see things from a new perspective and while the red-head's advice always came unwarranted, Bakugo found himself taking it more than he cared to admit.

Kirishima stared at Bakugo's back for another minute before he returned to stacking the remaining coffees on his cup holder. He had said the words that the blonde needed to hear. Now all he could do was hope that they resonated. "Let's hurry up. Mina's going to wake up from her nap any minute and she'll be cranky as shit until she gets coffee in her system."

Bakugo huffed away the doubt in his mind before he turned back to the redhead only to find a coffee cup being held out to him.

"For you," Kirishima nodded. "You look like you need it, dude. Your bedhead says it all."

"Fuck you," Bakugo snarled and snatched the piping cup from the idiot standing in front of him. "I didn't come here to listen to you fucking bitch about how I look."

"There he is," Kirishima smirked and nodded toward the elevators as he balanced two coffee trays in his hands. "Floor sixteen. Hurry it up, bedhead."

Bakugo was almost taken aback, "Keep that shit up, dipshit. See where it gets you."

"Aw," Kirishima cackled as he began to lead the way across the hospital lobby, "Bakugo doesn't like his new nickname? Do you prefer sleeping beauty?"

Bakugo felt his grip on the coffee tray in his hand tighten and the coffees tilted inward, "Last warning, Kirishima." His red eyes glowered at the jovial expression Kirishima was wearing.

"Yeah, whatever." Kirishima elbowed the button for the elevator. "So listen, before we get up there, I should probably let you know that Deku is here."

Bakugo had expected to see that fucking idiot at the hospital so he simply didn't respond to Kirishima's heads-up. Truthfully, the blonde hadn't really figured out what he was going to do when he saw Deku. The majority of him wanted to essentially strangle the guy and another part of him wanted to discount him to a fleck of lint that wasn't worth wasting breath on. It was a game of mental tug-of-war that would be decided on first look.

"I strongly advise not causing a scene," Kirishima followed Bakugo into the elevator and eyed the blonde warily. "Uraraka's parents are here and I don't think that would be the best first impression."

Bakugo was irked at the comment, "The fuck is that supposed to mean?" He turned a hard glare onto the red-head. This guy was pushing his luck way too far today.

"I'm just saying," Kirishima shrugged. "It might be something you want to think about when you see Deku."

Bakugo opened his mouth to demand that his friend clarify his statement but the door to the elevators reopened to a quiet hospital floor. "We're here!" Kirishima grinned and nudged Bakugo forward. "We're down the hall and to the left."

Bakugo closed his mouth and tossed Kirishima a short glare before exiting the elevator and making his way down the hall. When he rounded the corner, he came on a large waiting room. It was dotted with people he knew. Mina was pouting in a chair in the corner, Asui and Toru were playing cards on one of the coffee tables, Jirou and Yaoyorozu were talking with Kaminari near the nurse's station, and Deku was sitting with his knees to his chest in the last chair across the room. The blonde's eyes narrowed when he saw the one-for-all user sitting with his chin resting on his knees. His hand tightened around his cup of black coffee hard enough for the top to pop off and for the cup to cave in, sending hot coffee everywhere.

The entire room looked with surprised expressions to see the blonde standing with dark brown driblets running down his arm and dripping from his clenched fist. His teeth were clashed together and his eyes seemed to promise death as he stared at the man sitting across the room.

"Kacchan," Deku's eyes fell on him and the green-haired man let his feet drop to the floor. "You're here…"

Bakugo shook in place as he stared into the tired eyes of his oldest rival, his intuition telling him to berate Deku for being a piece of shit but the practical part of his mind told him to back off completely. The blonde tore his eyes away and shook his head hard. He couldn't confront Deku like this. He was here for Uraraka. Deku would have to wait and Bakugo would have to pretend that the pitiful moron wasn't there. For Uraraka's sake.

Kirishima awkwardly cleared his throat and went around Bakugo to go further into the room, "We brought coffee!" He placed the trays down and plucked one coffee out to hand to Mina, "This one is for you, grouchy."

Mina's eyes flicked to the coffee and she frowned back at Kirishima, "You're calling me grouchy? Do you see the guy that you brought with you?" She crossed her arms and skewered her mouth into a pout, "He needs it more than I do."

"Trust me," Kirishima chuckled nervously and pressed the coffee cup closer to her, "You definitely need this."

Mina glowered at him but snatched the coffee away, "You know me too well, jerk."

Kirishima retreated from the ominous pinkette before hurrying back toward the blonde. He gently pulled the tray away, saving it from Bakugo's inevitable destruction, and leaned in closer to his friend, "Dude… You're making everyone nervous."

"I don't fucking care," Bakugo breathed out with a thick, angry undertone. "I knew it was a bad idea to come here."

Kirishima turned around to smile at everyone, "Bakugo's had a bit of a rough week, so I think we should all just let him do his thing, huh?"

"You mean sulk?" Mina shot back at him as she sipped her coffee.

Kirishima gave her a warning look, "No," He huffed, "Well, yes. But let's leave him alone for now. He's just trying to offer support to Uraraka, just like the rest of us." His eyes fell on Deku and he softly shook his head, sending a message he hoped Deku would understand.

"Get over here, explody-face," Mina patted the seat beside her. "I saved a seat, just for you."

Kirishima raised his eyebrows at her and mouthed 'What are you doing?'

She shrugged at him, "What?"

Bakugo felt his wash of anger die down as he remembered the Uraraka was nearby and that was the reason he was here. He turned toward a garbage can and went to throw away his now empty and crushed coffee cup before he turned to one of the dumbfounded nurses seated at the nurse's station, "You got any paper towels?"

The nurse stuttered for a moment before shaking her head, "Don't worry about it, I'll just call up a janitor." She rose out of her seat and dialed her phone as she observed the mess.

Bakugo nodded before he dropped down into the first open seat he came across. He avoided looking at any of the other people in the waiting room as he dug out his earbuds and shoved them in his ears. If he was going to be here, he was going to avoid any and all discussion.

Kirishima breathed a huge sigh of relief when he saw the blond take a seat and jam his headphones in. Bakugo always had such a funny way of surprising him. He thought he was going to have to prevent a fight between the blonde and Deku, but perhaps it was his lucky day. He immediately turned back to Mina and gave her a hard look, "Why did you have to be like that?"

Mina shrugged as Kirishima took his seat beside her, "It's better that Bakugo's anger was on me than on Deku over there," She glanced past the red-head to see Deku staring directly at Bakugo. "But you're going to have to tell me how you convinced explosion kill king to actually show up."

Kirishima cocked his head at Mina and frowned, "I didn't do anything. I haven't seen him since yesterday. I don't know why he suddenly decided to show up." He looked over at the scowling blonde, "I ran into him while I was in the lobby."

"Weird," Mina muttered and took a sip of her hot drink. "Well this all just got much more interesting."

"Mina-" Kirishima rolled his eyes at her but didn't get to speak any more than that.

"Shh," The pink girl hushed him, "I know, we're here to support Uraraka, not stir up drama pots. You don't have to tell me. But shut up, we've got one incoming."

Kaminari suddenly dropped into the seat on the other side of Mina, "Thanks for the coffee, Kirishima." He waved the cup a little and leaned in closer, "So… What are you guys whispering about?"

"Nothing," Mina and Kirishima replied together and they glanced at each other.

Kaminari frowned, "Why am I always left out of your guys' little shenanigans? You're so secretive."

Kirishima heaved an annoyed sigh, "Not this again, Kaminari. Mina and I are just talking, that's it."

"Yeah," Kaminari replied with a sarcastic undertone. "I get it, I'm not cool enough to be in on whatever you two are planning. Don't think I don't know that you guys are cooking something up."

"Literally no," Mina turned her bored eyes on the electric blonde, "We're just talking."

Kaminari blinked at them for a minute, "You guys have been super secretive for weeks. What is going on with Bakugo? I know it has something to do with him."

"Don't push it," Kirishima cut in again. "We all know that Bakugo does what Bakugo wants and nothing else will ever persuade him otherwise."

Kaminari harrumphed and leaned back in his chair, "You guys are so lame."

Kirishima was unable to retort before a nurse walked in from the direction of Uraraka's room and knelt down by Deku's chair to whisper to him. Everyone in the room, including Bakugo, watched as the green-haired man's eyes widened and he quickly stood up to follow her.

"What the…" Kaminari furrowed his eyebrows as Deku disappeared down Uraraka's hallway.

Mina and Kirishima immediately locked eyes before they both looked over at the blonde. They expected to see him fuming but he looked completely impassive.

"Is she awake?" Mina heard Kirishima whisper beside her.

"Why else would Deku be going in there?" Mina replied with a low tone.

Kirishima glanced around the room to see that Uraraka's parents were seated in their chairs still and they had seen the interaction take place as well. Uraraka's mother moved to follow him but her husband held her in place, gently shaking his head and whispering something to her. "She has to be." The red-head found the face of his blonde friend once more and he could see the very slight narrowing of his red eyes as he watched Deku disappear down Uraraka's hallway. "You were right, Mina. This did just get a lot more interesting."

* * *

Uraraka felt clear-headed when the door to her hospital room opened up. She could hear someone walking in and the door shutting again but she didn't take her eyes off the city in the window. She thought she'd feel more nervous than this.

The sound of a chair dragging on the floor followed the footsteps of her visitor before Deku's face suddenly blocked her view of the afternoon sunshine on Tokyo. She finally allowed herself to look at him and her heart broke at the sight. He looked thoroughly beaten. His t-shirt was wrinkled and stained and his sweats were crumpled. His normally fluffy hair was droopy and knotted up. But the dark circles around his eyes said more than enough for her to know how he was feeling.

"Ochaco..." He breathed as he met her gaze.

She blinked at him for a moment before she looked down at the chair he'd dragged to her bedside, "Can you sit?" Her voice was still hoarse but the pain from speaking had mostly subsided now.

Deku glanced back at the chair and nodded slowly, "Sure." He sat down on the edge of the chair but scooted in closer to her bedside. He glanced over the bandages peeking out from behind her hospital gown and the cast over her left arm. "How are you feeling?"

"I suppose I could be worse," She murmured as she let her head relax more on the pillow propping her upright. "But everything hurts." She cast a sideways glance at the IV hooked to her arm, "I'm just grateful to be alive."

Deku gulped nervously, "I am so, so happy that you're alright." He reached his hand up to cup it over the top of her left hand. "I was so worried about you. We all were."

"Well," Uraraka tried to clear her throat but found the action too painful, "I'm alive." She took a shaky breath before meeting Deku's somber gaze again. "That's what matters."

Deku lightly squeezed her hand, "I just…" He looked down at his hand covering hers, "I am _so sorry_." He dropped his head. "I am so terribly sorry, Ochaco. For everything." He looked up again with teary eyes and found hers staring back at him with an empty expression. "I'm so sorry for everything. You were right. We should have moved to Tokyo years ago. I never should have gone to America, I should have stayed with you!" He squeezed her hand again. "I was so wrong to doubt you and worry about you all the time." He shook his head and looked down at the floor.

"Deku," Uraraka tried to utter with a dry voice but his apology wasn't over.

"I am such a huge idiot. I didn't listen to you and I am the worst boyfriend in the world." He clenched his other fist tightly where it rested on his knee, "I accused you of things that were unfair and I didn't trust you." His clenched fist went to grab onto his messy hair, "I wish I could take it all back. I would do it in a heartbeat. I want to make this up to you." He finally looked up to meet her gaze again, "I have to make this up to you. I can't…" His voice broke, "I can't lose you. Now that I know what it feels like… I can't… I can't do it."

"Deku…" Uraraka said the words so softly that they seemed to float away, tears pricking her eyes.

Deku brought his other hand up to hold her left hand in both of his, "I love you, Ochaco." His eyes gleamed with sincerity, "I am so in love with you and I was blinded by my own…" He seemed to search for the word, "Idiocy. I was too stupid to realize that out of everything I want, you're the most important person in the world to me." He squeezed her hand in his warm and clammy palms, "Please… Please forgive me."

Uraraka breathed out shakily and licked her lips, "I forgive you."

A long moment passed as Deku seemed to let the words wash over him. His grip on her hand loosened and his face relaxed, the hard lines that had been drawn on them over the last five days finally seemed to finally smooth out. "I…" He couldn't find the words he wanted to say. "Thank you. I won't let you down again, I swear. I'll be better." He sniffed hard and tried to shake away his tears.

"Deku," Uraraka swallowed hard, trying to clear away the lump in her throat. "I think you need to go back to America." A tear slipped from her eye and slid quickly down her cheek. "I-" She choked on a sob she wasn't expecting and the pain in her chest caused her to tense, forcing her to snap her eyes closed as she rode it out.

The relief on Deku's face was gone in a split second as he suddenly realized that she was trying to say something that was meant to upset him. "What?" He shook his head, "No, I'm staying here with you. I'm not going to leave Tokyo again. I already-"

"Izuku." Uraraka found her voice again and focused her eyes on him again as she forced the physical pain from her mind. "You have to go. I'm-" Another wave of pain hit her chest and she felt the urge to cough but she fought it off to spare herself the agony of it. "I'm telling you to go." The words came out with more bite than she intended.

A very long moment of silence followed as he blinked away tears. "What are you saying?"

Uraraka released a wheezy breath she didn't realize she'd been holding, "Ever since you left for America, things have been… different." She slowly began to pull her hand away from his. "We can't pretend that things haven't changed. We need to be honest about this." She released her hand from his hold, "I have to be honest about it. About us."

Midoriya watched as she painfully adjusted her arm in it's cast so it sat on top of her lap, now a few inches away from where his hands once held hers. A hiccup was building in his throat and he felt what was coming next so he intervened, "I know that things have been so hard and that's my fault. I admit it," He brought his eyes back up to her teary gaze, "But I am done putting us on hold. I want you to do everything you want to do and I'll support you. I will never second-guess you again." He let his hands drop to his own lap, "I know I've messed up a lot and I haven't been putting in as much effort as you have but I can change that." His gaze matched his pleading tone, "Please Ochaco. Please let me at least show you that I can change."

"I know you too well, Izuku," Uraraka tilted her head a bit and she spoke softly with a lightly quivering lip. "You've been my hero so many times. You have never treated me poorly, I know that. You've only done what you thought was right and I can't tell you how much you mean to me." She looked down at her broken body as she felt her body preparing to cry, "But I want to be my own hero too."

"Ochaco." Midoriya shook his head and spoke before she could continue. "You are the most amazing woman I have ever met. You inspire me every day. You're my everything." He stood up because he couldn't take this sitting down anymore, "You are considerate, generous, and beautiful in every possible way." He moved to stand directly beside her, "I have fallen in love with you over and over again. Please," He placed his fingertips on the edge of the mattress and bowed his head solemnly, "Please don't do this. I love you."

Uraraka felt tears drip down her face but she didn't care about them. She reached her good arm across her body and placed her hand over the top of his, "Izuku," She coaxed his bleary eyes out from behind his hair, "I will always hold a special place in my heart for you. For us." She grit her teeth as she felt a sob in her chest, "But-" She blubbered for a beat as she tried to get the words out of her mouth, "I think it's time that you go back to America."

Her words hit him hard and he immediately broke down. He slowly dropped his knees to the floor and rested his arms on the mattress to hide his face as he cried. "Ochaco… Please."

Uraraka couldn't stop the tears from falling either and all she could do was knot her fingers in his hair comfortingly, "I am so sorry."

They stayed like that for a long time, her fingers in his hair and his entire body trembling with grief as they cried together. Both silently reminiscing on their happiest moments together and the taste of their tears only grew more bittersweet as they felt the other's pain.

It felt like hours had passed before Deku reached up to his hair to retrieve her hand and grip it tightly in his. He lifted his head to look at her through his teary eyes and he sniffed his stuffy nose, "So that's it then? After everything, you want to call it quits?"

All Uraraka could do was nod as her frown trembled sadly. Her heart broke all over again when she saw the look on his face. Izuku Midoriya was an amazing man and she knew that. She'd shared so much of her life with him up to this point but she couldn't argue with her heart any longer. She wasn't happy with him anymore. She wanted more out of her life and if that meant that she had to go at life alone, then she needed to do it. Despite how much she repeated that sentiment in her mind, it still didn't make her feel like any less of a horrible person for breaking this man's heart and hating herself a little for doing it. "It's over."

A fresh wave of tears sprouted from Midoriya's eyes as he shakily got to his feet, "I just want you to know something." He looked down at his hands as he played with her fingers gently, "No matter what happens after today…" He gulped and tried to speak with an even tone, "Even if we never see each other again," He brought his gaze back up to meet hers, "I will never, never stop trying to win you back, Ochaco." He gripped her fingers tightly. "I will always love you. No one will ever hope to match you."

Ochaco finally let loose the sob she'd been painfully holding in her chest. The excruciating pain didn't even register with her. The pain in her heart won out. "I love you too." She gripped his hand in return, "And I'm sorry, Izuku. I'm so sorry."

"You don't have to say it," He slowly placed her hand down on the mattress. "I know that you don't love me the same way anymore." He let her go and took a small step forward. "But maybe one day, I can change your mind." He leaned over the bed and pressed his lips against her forehead in the gentlest possible way. "I'll be your hero whenever you need me." He held his lips to her head for a long moment, letting his shaking hand brush the hair on the side of her head gently before he stood back, nodded one last time at her, and turned to leave. "Goodbye Ochaco." He reached the door and glanced back at her.

"Goodbye Izuku," She sputtered back weakly and she watched as he stared at her for a few more seconds before leaving the room and shutting the door behind him.

The moment the door clicked shut, she wept. Her chest hurt horribly but she couldn't stop the sobs. She brought her good hand up to her face to wipe away the heavy tears and the snot from her nose, but no matter how many times she tried, they never dried. Her heart seemed to break over and over again as she grappled with the reality of what she had just done.

It felt like the loneliest day of her life and when her gaze went back to the window, she found no more hope or joy in the view. It seemed so bleak and grey. No amount of sunshine would bring a smile to Uraraka's face today.

"Ochaco?" A small voice whispered.

She turned to see the door had been cracked open and a fresh wave of tears burst from her eyes when she saw who her new visitor was, "Mom." She wailed softly and shook her head as the tears fell.

"Oh Ochaco…" Her mother cooed and slipped into the room, her husband following behind quietly. "Honey…" She shut the door and ran to the bedside. "Tell me what's wrong," The older woman was also bawling by the time she reached her daughter. "I am just so happy to see you awake and alright."

"Mom," Ochaco openly wailed openly now as she thrust her head back into the pillow. "I just-" She hiccuped a few times.

"You don't have to say it," Uraraka's father nodded at her, a tear of his own in his eye as he softly brushed her tear-wet hair from her cheeks. "We know and we're here for you, no matter what."

"I love you guys," Uraraka smiled sadly at her father and mother. "I just love you guys so much."

* * *

Bakugo hadn't taken his eyes off the hallway entrance for even a moment since Deku had disappeared down it. Uraraka's parents were hovering around the same area and they anxiously glanced down the hallway many times. Kirishima and the others were animatedly whispering to each other but Bakugo couldn't hear anything they were saying as music played through his earbuds.

The blonde didn't want to admit to himself but he was nervous. His heart had gone into overdrive as the minutes ticked by agonizingly and he found himself passing his phone from one hand to the other as he leaned his elbows on his knees. He wasn't entirely sure what to think about Deku disappearing down the hallway yet but he was sure his assumptions were correct.

Uraraka was awake. She had to be.

Time seemed to slow to a grinding halt as the entire room waited on Deku's return. Bakugo wasn't sure how he felt about Deku being the first one to see her but he didn't spend much time on the thought. Uraraka is her own damn woman and if Deku was the one she wanted to see first, then it's none of his fucking business. But it bothered him.

Bakugo subconsciously clenched his jaw as he felt everyone in the room, including himself, grow more and more antsy as the minutes ticked by. It had been nearly an hour now and there was no change. The blonde was tossing around the idea of barging in but that thought was quickly dismissed when he noticed Uraraka's parents' nervousness turn to shock.

Izuku Midoriya emerged from the hallway and Bakugo watched with narrowed red eyes as the green-haired moron bowed to Uraraka's parents. The first thing that the blonde noticed about Deku was the mess on his face. He had been crying hard and his cheeks shone with undried tears. Bakugo's normally impassive expression almost changed to one of interest but he caught himself before that mistake could be made.

Deku held his bow for a considerably long moment, saying words that Bakugo couldn't hear. When he stood upright, Uraraka's father reached a hand out and Deku took it with a pathetic nod. The older man said something that was clearly meant to be encouraging before they slowly departed and entered the hallway, leaving Deku to stand alone in front of the nurse's station.

Every one of Deku's former classmates' eyes were on him now, Bakugo's included. They all waited to see what would happen and for a very long moment, nothing did. It took quite a while for Deku to move again and he slowly turned toward the nearest wall. There was a crackle of green lighting as the all-for-one user made a move to punch the wall but stopped himself at the last moment, his fist hovering a breath away from the hospital wall.

The entire room was silent as they watched Deku's moment of weakness. In that moment, everyone understood what had transpired. Uraraka had broken things off with him and nobody knew how to help or approach the broken-hearted man standing in the waiting room. But Bakugo had no intention of comforting him. In fact, the blonde couldn't bring himself to pity the fucking bastard. In his mind, Deku had that coming for months. However, that didn't make watching Deku come unglued satisfying in any context. It was strange for Bakugo to see the normally smiley and composed man he'd known since his childhood lose his cool.

Midoriya faced the wall for a while, his fist quivered helplessly as it hung in the air. A noisy song occupied Bakugo's ears, but the imagination of Deku's sniffles were almost enough to drown out the sounds playing in his earbuds.

Bakugo was almost ready to relax and let it go when Deku spun around and looked directly at the blonde. Bakugo felt a spike of confusion as the green-haired man walked his way. He didn't bother removing the earbuds until Deku was standing directly in front of him, his watery eyes looking down at the blonde.

"The fuck-" Bakugo began with a flat tone but he didn't get the chance to finish before Deku interrupted.

"Can I talk to you?" He glanced at the spectators around the room. "In private. Outside."

The blonde sat back in his chair and gave the all-for-one user an impassive expression but his red eyes gave him away. They sent a warning to the other man that was requesting an audience. Bakugo wouldn't lie, he was mildly curious what the other man wanted. "I'm a little busy right now," He lifted one of the earbuds back to his ears.

"I'm not messing around, Kacchan," Deku moved his hand with lightning speed to knock Bakugo's earbud out of his grip. "You owe me at least one conversation." The look in Deku's eyes matched the warning in Bakugo's now.

Bakugo met that gaze and held it as he evaluated the other man's emotional state. There were a lot of ways this conversation could go and none of them were good. However, if Bakugo knew anything about Deku, it was not to fuck with him when he was emotional. "Fuck," Bakugo grumbled half-incoherently. "Fine." He stood up and gruffly shoved his way past Deku. "Make it quick. I got better things to do."

Deku followed the blonde to the elevators and the two men rode in silence down to the lobby. When they finally exited the building, Deku took the lead and went off to the side of the hospital, out of the view of the people coming and going.

Bakugo tucked his hands in his pockets and leaned up against the side of the building. When he finally lifted his bored red eyes to the emotional mess of a man that had called him out there, he noticed that Deku was hardly keeping it together anymore. "So Deku," He spat the name with the necessary disdain it usually held, "What do you want?"

* * *

 **Oh boy.**

 **Deku had a bad day, didn't he? Poor guy. I feel bad for him. But, I hope you enjoyed the read! It took me a long time to write that scene between him and Uraraka but I had SO MUCH FUN writing the banter between Kirishima and Bakugo! I miss their friendship and I'm excited for the coming chapters so I can write some more of it!**

 **So I am moving the updates for this fic to Fridays and I'm gonna call it Fanfiction Friday so you remember! As always, I respond to all the reviews on my profile page so you should go check it out if you left a review on the last chapter! But DAMN people, let me just say THANK YOU for leaving THIRTY-TWO reviews on chapter 19! I am just so amazing and I feel so blessed to have all of you here reading week-to-week. You guys are amazing!**

 **Also, just a friendly reminder that I do keep you guys updated on Twitter and I'd love to hear from you there! Sometimes I post snippets from new chapters and it's just a great way for me to not only get inspired, but get just as hyped as you guys for new chapter postings! You can find that info on my profile page as well.**

 **That just about wraps it up for this week and I am so grateful to all of you that not only leave reviews, but fav and follow as well. You guys are so wonderful and I am so privileged to write for you guys. Chapter 21 is now officially a work in progress and I will see you all next week for Fanfiction Friday! I love you guys!**

 **XOXOXO**


	21. Chapter 21

Deku turned his back to Bakugo and released a long sigh, "Ocha- Er…" He cleared his throat awkwardly, "Uraraka told me to go back to America."

Bakugo didn't reply but felt his heart lighten at the confirmation that she was awake and coherent. He didn't change the impassiveness of his expression despite the fact that Deku couldn't see him.

"I'm going to go." Deku hung his head dejectedly and a soft sniffle followed.

Bakugo pulled his hands from his pockets and crossed them over his chest as he rested the back of his head against the cement wall he was leaning on. "Why the fuck are you telling me?"

Deku laughed brokenly, "Remember what you said to me a few days ago? When we ran into each other the second time by her apartment?" He finally turned to face the blonde, "You told me that she would be mine as long as I could keep her."

Bakugo snorted indifferently, "So fucking what?"

"Well I couldn't keep her," Deku let his eyelids droop as he wiped at his wet nose. "I just…" He met the blonde's bored gaze, "I guess I'm just surprised. You of all people, Kacchan."

Bakugo knew what Deku was alluding to but he decided to disregard it, "So you dragged me all the way out here to tell me that roundface dumped you?" His passive expression fell into a scowl as he kicked away from the wall to stand upright. "I don't know why the fuck you still think we're friends after all these years, Deku, but I'm not about to change that. You fucked it up with her. That's on you."

"You know that's not what I'm saying, Kacchan." Deku's sadness seemed to ebb away a bit.

"What?" Bakugo held out a hand and he scoffed, "You want to blame this shit on me?"

Deku seemed to consider it for a moment, "Ever since she came to Tokyo and started hanging out with _you_ , she's been pushing me away." He pointed an accusing finger. "I know you, Kacchan. I know you well enough to see that you've always been bitter about Uraraka and I."

"That's a stretch," Bakugo jeered and chuckled darkly, "All you two did was make me sick."

"Well I'm sick of you," Deku grunted with frustration. "Of all the people in the world, Kacchan, I didn't expect you to be the one that came between her and I. We were happy and then you came in and-and-" He seemed to fumble for the words, "You came and screwed it all up! You put ideas in her head and turned her against me!"

"Stop." Bakugo's tone was thick with warning. "Don't fucking discount Uraraka like that. She made every choice herself."

Deku seemed taken aback by the note in the blonde's voice and the deadly look in his eyes. It was an intimidating look that seemed more like a dare. "Tell me, Kacchan. Be honest with me." Deku crossed his arms and stood straight to mirror the blonde's aggressive pose. "How long have you been in love with her?"

Bakugo blinked at the other man for a moment and weighed the question. Was there any point in lying? "Long enough," Bakugo replied coolly and it felt like a weight lifted off his shoulders. "Now fuck off to America," The blonde sniffed at the other man and turned to walk away, "The sooner you're gone, the better off she'll be."

Deku lunged forward and snatched the blonde by the arm, "Why?" He pulled hard, forcing Bakugo to face him again. "Why would you fall in love with her? You hated her in high school!"

"I hated all of you, dipshit," Bakugo snapped back and yanked his arm out of Midoriya's grasp. "I don't have to explain myself to you." He pressed his palm on the other man's shoulder and shoved him away.

Deku frowned hard as he was pushed back a few paces, "Why did you have to try and take her?"

Bakugo whirled around to glower at the other man, "I never fucking tried to take her from you, Deku. You chased her away all on your own."

"Everyone keeps saying that," Deku guffawed at the blonde, "But apparently I'm the only one that doesn't see it."

Bakugo took a brazen step toward the other man, "Are you fucking serious?" Bakugo pointed his thumb behind him, indicating to the hospital, "She's in the fucking hospital Deku. She almost died because you intervened."

"I thought-" Deku tried to cut in.

"You didn't fucking think," Bakugo snapped harshly. "You acted. You tried to be this grand hero that leaps in at the last moment to save the day. That's how you've always been and that's why you lost her. You're overprotective as shit and you corral her around like a child." He took another step to jab a finger into Deku's chest, "And if you think for one fucking second that she wasn't justified in dumping your sorry ass, then you're gravely mistaken." The fire in his red eyes was lit with a deep anger and frustration. "It's time for you to go, Deku." He gruffly shoved the other man back again. "Go!"

Midoriya blinked at the blonde, shock written all over his face. "I was trying to save her!"

"I saved her," Bakugo pointed to himself. "And thank fuck I did." The blonde glowered at Midoriya, letting his disdain rise to the surface. "I swear Deku, I'm getting really fucking tired of cleaning up after you." Bakugo shut his eyes and released a terse breath.

Midoriya felt a fake chortle pass his lips and he held out his hands, "You're really telling me that you wouldn't have jumped in to save her at that moment?" Deku raked his hand through his flat hair, "Cameo had her by the back of her head! She was stuck! What was I supposed to do?"

"Nothing," Bakugo spat back and waved his hand dismissively, "She had it under control."

Midoriya's jaw dropped with disbelief, "Had it under- Were you even there? There was no way she was getting out of that!"

"Right there," Bakugo was almost humored and he smirked. "That is why she's leaving you, Deku." Bakugo waved his hand around, indicating to the tall city buildings surrounding them. "Everyone watched that fight and saw it the same way I did. Uravity was in control." He let his eyes narrow at the other man, "You're the only one who felt differently."

"You are such a jackass," Midoriya scoffed at the blonde, allowing himself to break his internal rule against cursing. "You're so busy criticizing me but really, Uraraka is too good for you too, Kacchan."

Bakugo felt a bubble of indignation in his gut and he scowled at the other man, "Go back to America."

"Stop avoiding it, Kacchan!" Deku shook his head and frowned, "You said it yourself, you and I are exactly alike!"

Bakugo grunted in exasperation and clenched a sweaty fist at his side, "What the fuck do you really want, Deku?" He felt himself getting more worked up by the second.

A lot of emotions passed over Deku's face at that question. What did he want exactly? "Ugh!" The broken-hearted man pressed his palms against his face and he groaned, "I... " He felt a lot of the anger he felt a moment ago wash away. "I don't know, Kacchan. I'm just so mad at you for falling in love with her and the worst part about it all is…" Deku couldn't even finish the sentence but he heard it in his own mind.

 _She's in love with you too…_

The blonde stared at Midoriya for a very long time and if he was honest with himself, he didn't know what he was feeling either. There was so much unresolved tension between himself and Deku but then again, it had always been that way with them. Uraraka only seemed to amplify it. But the anger and frustration had reached a peak and now neither man knew what to do with it anymore.

"We're not friends," Bakugo muttered and tsk'd at the other man as he angled his body back toward the front of the hospital. "And Uraraka isn't a prize to be won but I don't need to tell you that, she'd tell you herself." Bakugo shoved his hands in his jean pockets and began walking away, "You and I aren't the same, Deku. At least, not anymore."

"I swear, Kacchan," Deku mumbled as he watched the blonde begin to leave, "If you hurt her-"

Bakugo waved a hand dismissively over his shoulder, "It's none of your business anymore, Deku. We're done here. You have a plane to catch." He didn't wait to hear a response before he turned the corner and found himself in front of the hospital once again. A long breath escaped him and Bakugo almost felt relieved as he made his way back through the doors and he sauntered toward the elevators.

Deku was suddenly out of the picture and Bakugo didn't know how to feel about it. As the elevator beeped through the floors, he ran over the conversation in his mind. There was so much more he had wanted to say to Deku. He wanted to yell at him, berate him, maybe even hit him but when the opportunity had presented itself, Bakugo found his pride shaking its head. He couldn't revert back to his old ways anymore. He had to show himself that he wasn't like Deku anymore. The Bakugo show wasn't over but it had moved on to the next act.

The doors slid open to Uraraka's floor and when he rounded the corner, he found the waiting room empty. Nerves raked him as he looked toward the hallway. His mind had been preoccupied with Deku so he hadn't really thought too much about Uraraka being awake. Would she be upset with him? Did she want to see him at all?

Scenarios ran through his mind as he slowly meandered in the direction of her room. He stopped just outside the hallway and he could hear laughter a little way off. Mina's obnoxious chortle of a laugh was prominent among the sounds and he clenched his teeth. He didn't feel like he could bear to see her right now either. She'd been through so much and he doubted she had any better of an idea what to do about it than him.

He recalled the way she'd caressed his face as he carried her out of the poison fog. Her touch had been so delicate as she brushed her fingers through his hair. She'd smiled at him so tenderly and her voice was so soft and weak.

" _Bakugo, you have the prettiest eyes…"_

In the days following the fight, he had pushed every thought of her from his mind. He hadn't taken the time to dwell on the things she had said or the way she'd looked at him when she told him to go after Viper. He hadn't had much time to look within himself either. Truthfully, when Deku had asked him how long he'd been in love with her, it was the first time that Bakugo had asked himself that question too. But the answer was obvious. He'd loved her for some time now. When did he start loving her and more importantly, why?

What is there to love about Uraraka?

Bakugo slowly peered around the corner and his red eyes found the source of his question. She was lying in a hospital bed, machines attached to her right arm and a cast wrapped around her left. Her face was wet with tears, bruised, and cut. However, despite the pain she was clearly enduring, she was smiling at the people crowded around her bed. A genuine smile.

Oh yeah… That's his reason.

All the doubt and reluctance he'd been feeling seemed to disappear. He was simply stuck as he gazed in an almost shy way down the hallway. She looked like she'd been through hell. But damn, she was one seriously strong chick for bouncing back this fast. It was clear that there was an element of sadness to her expressions but she paid attention to all the people that were standing by her side and she giggled softly at their antics.

Bakugo couldn't bring himself to go any further than the entrance to the hallway. He knew he wasn't ready and it was clear that now was not the time for him to reacquaint with her. She had more to work through than he did, so he'd respect her distance. They both needed time.

He slowly moved around the wall and leaned his shoulder on the corner of the hallway so he could observe her a little more clearly. He tucked his hands in his pockets and crossed one foot over the other. He saw her laugh weakly at something Kirishima said and Asui took a turn to sign her arm cast.

He couldn't take his eyes off of her as he tried to read what she was feeling. She looked… shielded. Her nose was bright red and her cheeks were flushed. It was painfully obvious she'd been crying a lot but there seemed to be a thick wall behind her brown eyes now. It looked like she wasn't fully there with her friends, like her mind was somewhere else completely. It was a facade and Bakugo understood that. She didn't want to fall apart in front of her peers. She'd already suffered enough.

He stayed like that for a while, letting his red eyes take in just how beat up she was and he felt a hit to his pride. If only he'd been able to save her before she'd taken Constrictor into the fog. If he'd been able to blast Cameo off a moment sooner, then perhaps she wouldn't be where she was now. But Bakugo wasn't one to dwell on past happenings and it bothered him that he couldn't seem to let this one go.

The one fact he couldn't let go of was the fact that he hadn't been able to fulfill his promise to her in what they both thought were her last moments. Viper had gotten away because of his own pride getting in the way of his job. It was a complete and utter embarrassment and she was the only one he felt was worthy of passing that judgement on him. Surely she'd be disappointed, right?

His mind was so busy that he almost didn't notice it when she caught sight of him at the end of the hallway. Her brown eyes found his and his breath left his chest. They held each other's gaze for only a few seconds before she smiled and ever-so-slightly nodded her head at him. The moment was over just as quickly as it started as Kaminari made some ridiculous hand motion and everyone in the room began teasing him, Uraraka included.

The blonde gulped dryly and decided that he'd intruded enough. He quickly turned away and made for the elevator doors. He needed to give her time and he needed some for himself. He had a lot to figure out but she needed to heal. He couldn't bring himself to cause her more pain or confusion right now. He just needed to let her be.

* * *

Uraraka woke up on the following Wednesday morning feeling refreshed and excited. The last few days had been a slow process of allowing the doctors to use their healing quirks on her injuries and she was hopeful that today would be the day to get her cast off. She sat up slowly, careful not to aggravate her back that was still badly bruised but there was a bit of a smile on her lips.

The nurse came in a little while later and happily pushed open the curtains at Uraraka's request, letting the morning rays warm her legs. "Did you sleep better last night?"

"I did," Uraraka breathed as she began to pick through the tray of food the nurse had brought. "The sedative helped a lot."

The nurse made her way to Uraraka's side and handed her a paper cup with her medications, "Well I think the doctor will want to leave you off the sedatives for tonight." She smiled when Uraraka popped the pills in her mouth, "In fact, he should be in here shortly to see about this arm of yours!"

Uraraka beamed at the thought and she glanced down at the cast to see the sweet notes that her friends and family had written on it. "I hope it works out."

"Can you lean forward for me really quick?" The nurse pulled on a pair of latex gloves and stepped directly beside Uraraka, "I just want to check the bruising."

"Sure," Uraraka pushed the swivel table that held her breakfast away and very slowly leaned her body forward. She grit her teeth at the pain but was happy to know that it had lessened since yesterday. She felt the nurse slowly pull the gown back and place a cold palm against the bruises but she didn't press hard.

"It's starting to yellow a bit," The nurse chirped with an upbeat tone. "That's a good sign. I'm sure the doctors will be happy to see that." She helped Uraraka lean back into the pillows again before going to work on checking her vitals and marking her chart. "If you continue to heal so well, I'm sure you'll be able to discharge by the end of the week."

Uraraka breathed a hopeful sigh, "I would love that." She longed for the comfort of home. While she was grateful for the hospital staff and the lengths they went to in order to help her, she missed the feeling of her own bed. Her mind seemed to blink to an image of her apartment and she gulped.

While Deku had never lived in the Tokyo apartment, it was still littered with memories of him. More than half the stuff in the place was his. His furniture, clothes, and trinkets. All of his All Might stuff was there. The thought hadn't really dawned on her that she would have to deal with all of that. What was she supposed to do with it all? And how would it make her feel when she saw it?

"Hey now," The nurse cooed when she saw Uraraka's face turn glum, "I can promise we've come to love you just as much, but sometimes the comforts of home help the healing process. After all, we want you to return to hero work someday too." She patted the brunette's shoulder comfortingly. "And you'll be back to visit us every so often."

"No, I'm just-" Uraraka cut herself off and reevaluated, "Er… Thank you. I'll miss you all so much." She smiled at the nurse but it didn't reach her eyes.

"And we'll miss you too," The nurse didn't buy Uraraka's simple reply. "That reminds me though," She snapped the gloves off her hands and tossed them in a bin, "The nurse from the night shift told me that a boy dropped off a gift for you last night." She clapped her hands together and grinned at the brunette, "You were asleep so he left it with them. I'll go get it."

Uraraka didn't have the opportunity to question the nurse any further before she hurried through the door and disappeared. The brunette furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. A boy? Which boy? She mindlessly fingered the edge of her cast until the door popped open again and the nurse ducked in, holding something rectangular in her hands.

"The nurses gushed to me about him this morning," She crossed the room and held out the object for Uraraka, "They told me he was broody and nervous and they wouldn't stop going on about how handsome he was."

Uraraka's eyes fell on a book that the nurse held out to her, "Broody…" She mumbled to herself as she took it in her hands. She turned it over to reveal the cover.

 _Pride and Prejudice_

The title was elegantly printed across the front with colorful swirling accents surrounding it. It was a very classical book cover. Uraraka felt her lips tug up a bit and she released a humorous breath from her nose.

The nurse raised her eyebrows as she watched Uraraka look at the book. "I haven't read it but I hear it's good."

"It's my favorite," Uraraka murmured and looked back at the nurse with a soft smile. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me," The nurse shook her head, "Thank that broody boy. He's the one that brought it, although I'm sure he could have done without all the cursing."

Uraraka released another humorous exhale, this one a little more intense than the last, and it caused her to start coughing hard. Her chest seemed to squeeze and she couldn't catch her breath for a long moment as she struggled to stop. Her lungs felt like they wanted to leap out of her throat.

"Oh dear," The nurse jumped to action and pushed Uraraka up into an upright position before slowly rubbing circles into her back. "You have to try and relax. Breathe." She coached Uraraka through the coughing fit before helping her settle back into the pillows, "I see that your lungs are still in bad shape."

"Water," Uraraka pushed the word out with a hoarse tone. She gratefully took the cup that the nurse handed her from the food tray and stuck the bendy straw into her mouth. The cool water seemed to ease the gummy feeling in her throat and the burning sensation in her chest.

The nurse slid the swivel table back in front of the brunette and picked up the book that had fallen onto the floor during Uraraka's bout of coughing. She placed it next to the tray of food and smiled, "Just keep taking it easy, okay? We want those lungs to heal."

Uraraka nodded before the nurse began heading toward the door. The woman stopped before she exited completely and turned back to the brunette, "The doctor will be by in a little while. I'll let him know that he should take a look at your lungs again." She didn't wait for Uraraka to respond before she exited the room.

Uraraka took another long drink of water and she eyed the book. She had already known who the gift was from when the nurse had given it to her. The broody hint wasn't necessarily needed. She placed the cup on the table and ran her fingers over the cover, feeling the ridges of the indented title. Her fingers moved to the edge before she lifted the cover and opened to the first page. Her eyes darted to blue ink scribbled at the bottom of the cover page.

" _Hurry up and get better. - B"_

Uraraka couldn't stop herself from grinning at the hilariously penned note. It was barely legible, matching Bakugo's handwriting and attitude generally. The note was probably a regrettable afterthought for him but the fact it was there was just so… Bakugo. She wanted to giggle but fought it back to spare herself the ensuing coughing fit.

With the exception of Midoriya, he was the only one that she hadn't seen since Saturday. As far as she was aware, he hadn't stopped by the hospital at all since then. What made him suddenly stop by last night and leave behind a gift?

Uraraka knew he was blaming himself for what happened, just as Deku was. Although, she wished he wouldn't. She had made her own choices in the heat of battle. She did what she assumed was right. She couldn't help but wonder if he was punishing himself by staying away and not visiting her.

She closed the book and picked it up, looking at the cover again. This felt like a good compromise. If this book was his way of saying he was sorry, although he had nothing to apologize for, she would take it and hope that he'd come around soon. In the meantime, she'd just enjoy the distraction from the pain.

She popped it open to the first chapter and began reading as she ate her breakfast. After a while, she'd pushed the table away and sunk into her pillows, cradling the book in her arms and losing herself in the story.

She was snapped back to reality when the doctor suddenly arrived, "Uraraka!" He swung open the door and grinned, the nurse coming in behind him. "How are you feeling?"

She shut the book, surprised to see she'd already read fifty pages, and smiled, "Better!" She lifted her cast, "I'm hoping you have some good news for me?"

"Oh do I," The doctor nodded and came up to her bedside. "But first, let's get a look at those bruises."

Uraraka allowed the doctor to examine her as he did twice daily, moving through the routine quickly now. He looked over her chart for a while, asking her the usual questions and finally came around to her left side. "Let's get this thing off you, huh?"

"Yes please!" Uraraka felt a rush of excitement when he retrieved the drill to remove it. The process only took a few minutes before she was free of the restricting plaster. She wiggled her fingers and smiled giddily.

"You're going to need to take it easy for a while," The doctor patted the skin of her arm gently and applied his quirk."We'll get you going on physical therapy for it but it won't be rigorous due to your lungs." His quirk was relatively simple, it almost felt like his touch chilled her nerves and as a result, her arm prickled. Over the course of a few minutes she could feel the muscles in her arms tense and relax as it strengthened and repaired itself.

Uraraka was just happy to be able to freely bend her arm again, "This feels so much better."

"Well," The doctor handed off the cut pieces of cast off to the nurse to dispose of, "Our biggest problem is your lungs. Have you felt any change since yesterday?"

"I'm still coughing a lot," Uraraka muttered and felt the familiar spike of nerves travel up her spine. Her lungs had been stressing her out more than she cared to admit. The poison from the fog had nearly destroyed them and she was still struggling to so much as take a deep breath.

"Let's get another x-ray done and see what's really going on in there," The doctor skewed his mouth thoughtfully. "Have you used your quirk at all?"

Uraraka shook her head and she felt guilty. She hadn't even tried to float anything since the battle in Keihin because she was afraid. She remembered how her quirk had involuntarily shut down and she could feel that she'd somehow strained it. It felt like a pulled muscle but worse in a way that she couldn't describe. Like something was torn or broken about it. And it didn't help that a lot of her quirk had to do with holding her breath. How was she supposed to do hero work without the full use of her quirk or lungs?

The doctor reached across her to pick up the book Bakugo had gifted her, "Give it shot." He offered it to her.

"I don't know…" Uraraka looked at the book with a skeptical expression.

"We need to make sure that your quirk is healing properly too," He smiled encouragingly at her. "Don't worry, I'll be right here. So will she," He pointed back at the nurse behind him who was smiling at her brightly.

Uraraka licked her lips and gently took the book in her hands and pressed all her fingertips to the covers. The book suddenly felt weightless in her hands and she smiled a little as she released it, letting it float up. She felt a pressure in her chest that was wildly uncomfortable and suddenly the book began to quiver before it dropped like a brick onto her lap.

"Very good!" The doctor cheered and patted her lower leg with a joyful smile.

Uraraka didn't meet his gaze, instead staring at the book in her lap. That was it? That was all she could do? A pang of despair washed over her at the realization. Her quirk was damaged more than she could have thought. Tears seemed to fill her eyes.

"Hey," The doctor noticed the trembling lip, "Don't worry, Uraraka." He squat down next to the bed so he could look up into her eyes, "As you heal, so will your quirk. Yes, it takes some time, but if you keep it up, you'll be back to where you were in no time."

"I just-" Uraraka felt a desperate sob creeping up on her, "I just can't believe that after only one fight-" Tears spilled over and she shook her head, unable to finish her thought.

The doctor tilted his head and the pity on his face was apparent, "You did an amazing and heroic thing. You should be proud of yourself. You helped get two dangerous criminals off the streets. Because of you, they can't hurt anyone anymore."

"I know!" Uraraka sniffed her nose and swiped at her eyes with the back of her hands, "I just wanted to do so much more than this. I want to make a bigger impact on the world. I want to be the best hero I can be, but I can't do that when I can't even make a book float for more than a few seconds!" She placed her palms over her face to cover her shame.

The doctor felt supremely guilty for bringing this out of her but he stood up and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "I have treated so many heroes, Uraraka. They all want to make impacts on the world but you, just like them, didn't lose that ability because you got hurt. You need to take care of your body first and the goals you want to achieve will come along with that." He nodded back to the nurse, "Let's get that x-ray of your lungs and see what we can do today to try and get you back out there as soon as possible."

Uraraka seemed to lighten up a bit. He was right. She couldn't just sit around and feel sorry for herself. She needed to work harder than ever to bring herself out of this mess. Heroes need to be strong for others but they can only do that when they're strong for themselves.

The process of getting the x-ray was long and awkward but she was used to it by now. It was necessary and she eventually found herself alone in her hospital room again as she waited for the results. Her mind was still a mess as she tried to focus her mind back on reading her book. The afternoon sun brought in the early autumn warmth she longed to feel on her face and she kept stealing glances out at the bustling city.

"Knock knock!" The door to her room popped open for the third time that day and she turned to see an all-too-familiar face.

"Kirishima!" Uraraka beamed when she saw the goofy grin of her former classmate. "What are you doing here?"

"Visiting you of course!" Kirishima stepped inside, leaving the door open as he stepped inside. He plopped down in one of the green chairs that sat in the corner of the room by the window. "How is my favorite badass feeling today?"

"Eh," Uraraka shrugged and shut the book, tucking it to her side. "I'm just ready to get out of here. I want to get back to work so bad."

Kirishima rolled his head on his shoulders and chuckled at her, "Yeah, we all miss you so much at the agency. That place is just so boring without you and Bakugo."

Uraraka tilted her head curiously, "Without Bakugo?"

"He didn't tell you?" Kirishima furrowed his eyebrows, "Edgeshot is making Bakugo take a leave too."

"Oh…" Uraraka mumbled softly. "No, I haven't actually seen Bakugo."

Kirishima seemed genuinely surprised by her response, "What? Like at all?"

"Nope," She shook her head. "I just figured he was busy with work and whatever other Bakugo stuff he does."

Kirishima leaned forward in his chair and frowned, "So he hasn't come to visit you then?"

Uraraka shrugged, "It's not a big deal. You and I both know how he is. Well, you probably know better than I do."

Kirishima laughed aloud and threw his back into the chair again, "Trust me, Bakugo isn't that hard to figure out but something tells me you already knew that." He caught her gaze and quirked an eyebrow.

"Oh gosh," Uraraka scoffed and rolled her eyes, "Bakugo is completely beyond my scope of understanding. That guy has done nothing but confuse me since I met him."

"Don't even lie," Kirishima's tone was teasing, "You think his little hardass act is as funny too."

"Oh it is," Uraraka smiled softly as she pictured the blonde's array of annoyed expressions and his infamous default scowl. "It's predictable."

"See?" Kirishima held out a hand to her. "You do get him. That's all it takes to know that weird ass dude. Once you figure out the tough guy act is actually an act, everything else about him makes perfect sense."

Uraraka shifted in her spot and crossed her legs under the blanket, "I don't know if it's really that simple. He's super… complex?" She wasn't sure if that word completely fit but it was the only one she could think of. "Sure, the tough guy thing is an act but that's all I really know about him. Sometimes he does things or says things that make zero sense to me."

Kirishima huffed a humorous breath, "Alright, I'll give you that. He catches me off-guard all the time too but I think he just lacks people skills in general."

"Well did you see him at Edgeshot's party?" Uraraka raised her eyebrows and smiled as she recalled the way Bakugo seemed to consolidate his personality to fit in with the upper class heroes. "He was a perfect gentleman."

"Oh I know," Kirishima chortled and slid his hand over his smiling lips as he rested his elbow on the armrest of his chair. "I call it Jeanist Bakugo. It's all stuff he learned from his internship with Best Jeanist and it's just another one of Bakugo's little acts. It's by far the best one." The redhead chuckled as he thought about it. "It's so bad."

"I thought he was rather polite!" Uraraka grinned as she tried to fight back a laugh. "He even brought me a drink when I was talking to Kamui Woods. It was so... gentlemanly."

Kirishima dropped his hand and tilted his head at her with a knowing expression, "Well he only did that because it was you. If that had been me or Mina, he would have told us to piss off the moment he showed up."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Uraraka blinked and looked confused. "Because it was me?"

"Oh yeah," Kirishima shrugged nonchalantly, "You're like… the one person that Bakugo is nice to." He smirked at her, "You're going to have to share your secrets with me. I want Bakugo to be nice to me too."

"Nice?" Uraraka echoed the word and frowned. "I don't think he treats me any differently than the rest of you. I mean, why would he?" She knew why but she didn't want to say it. Mina had told her that Bakugo had feelings for her but Uraraka didn't feel like she had the energy or willpower to begin working through that possibility since her breakup with Deku. It still felt like she was betraying Deku's trust whenever she tried to think about it and she figured she needed to give it more time before she took an honest look at Bakugo's influence in her life.

Kirishima saw the conflict on Uraraka's face and he decided to reel back his line of questioning, "I'm just saying that he's nice to you and that comes from the perspective of his best friend. It's hard not to notice that, you know?" He leaned forward and lowered his voice, glancing back at the open door, "I don't know if you know this but… Bakugo? Yeah, he's not nice to just anyone." He smirked with a tease on his lips before leaning back in chair again, "So that jerk hasn't come by yet, huh?"

"Well," Uraraka glanced down at the book tucked in beside her hip, "I guess he stopped by last night but I was asleep."

Kirishima followed her gaze to the book and he strained his neck, hoping to see the title. He retracted his gaze when Uraraka looked back toward him, "Did he?" The redhead nodded his head and glanced out the window thoughtfully, "Good."

"I think he's just being hard on himself," Uraraka shrugged and played with her hands in her lap awkwardly, "I can't really blame him for that. He'll come when he's ready."

Kirishima was silent as he watched Uraraka pout at her hands in her lap, "Well, while we're on serious topics…" He seemed to choose his next words carefully, "How are you doing? As in… I heard about you and… Deku." He flushed at the awkward sounding question.

Uraraka swallowed thickly and she felt a spike of sorrow. Nobody had asked her about it since it happened and she had been glad for it. She hadn't felt ready to talk about it. "Well," She seemed to struggle for words, "I mean… I guess I'm doing alright."

"I saw that he flew back to America yesterday," Kirishima rubbed his chin to work out some of the awkward tension he was feeling. "Did he take it well?"

"Yeah," Uraraka chirped quickly and then shook her head, "Actually, I don't really know. He just kinda… Well, he left really fast. We haven't talked at all so I don't really know what's going on or what we're going to do about all our stuff and-" She cut herself off and shook her head, "Now I'm rambling."

Kirishima heaved a heavy sigh, "Listen, I know it's not really my place to say, I know that." He sat up straight and met her gaze completely, "But I want you to know that I think you made the right call. Deku is a great guy and we all love him and his… weirdness… but he's going to be alright. He's one strong man and I've seen that guy accomplish things I thought were impossible. He'll be fine. I just need to know, will you be alright?"

Uraraka seemed to consider his question for a long while and eventually nodded her head, "Actually, I feel really good about it." She suddenly flushed when she realized the words that had tumbled from her mouth, "I didn't mean that to sound so heartless. I just- I mean…" She fumbled for the words.

"Hey," Kirishima held up a hand and nodded, "You don't have to tell me. I'm happy for you, okay? That's all any of us want for you, Uraraka. You deserve better."

She bit her lip and felt a happy tear in her eye, "Thank you Kirishima." She swallowed thickly and smiled as the tear slipped down her cheek, "I really needed to hear that. Thank you."

"H-hey!" Kirishima fumbled awkwardly when he saw the tear, "I didn't mean to make you cry! Shit, Uraraka, I am so sorry."

"It's fine," She released a terse breath through her slightly smiling teeth, "It's seriously okay. They're happy tears."

Kirishima looked skeptical but seemed to accept her words, "Well, let's talk about happier things, huh?" He nodded at the book, "What are you reading?"

Uraraka looked down at the book before she pulled it away from her side and set it on her lap, "Oh this?" She smiled faintly at it, "Pride and Prejudice." She lifted it up and showed him the cover, "Bakugo actually left it here for me last night."

"He did?" Kirishima's curiosity peaked and he couldn't help but smirk a little as their conversation turned toward the hot-headed blonde again.

"I guess," Uraraka shrugged. "It's a nice gesture."

Kirishima grinned as he thought about all the teasing potential for the blonde, "Well damn, he dropped off a book but didn't come say hi?"

"I was asleep so he left it with the nurses," Uraraka looked at the doorway, trying to view the nurse's station but instead found two familiar faces talking to the nurses at the end of the hallway. "Is that who I think it is?"

Kirishima turned his head to follow her gaze and saw the two people she was referring to turning toward the room. He lifted up a hand to smile and wave when they came to a stop in the doorway. "Mirio! Eri! What's up?"

"Er…" The girl was wearing her U.A. school uniform as she tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. "Hi Red Riot," She turned to Uraraka, "Hey Uravity."

"You can call me Kirishima," The red-head stood up and grinned. "What are you guys doing here?"

Mirio looked down at the girl and nodded, "Go on, Eri." He looked up to meet Kirishima's curious gaze before he jerked his head toward the door, "Oi Kirishima, want to come with me to get Uraraka a snack from the vending machine?" He looked at the hospitalized brunette, "I'm sure you could do with a candy bar, eh?"

Uraraka met Mirio's gaze with a confused look, "Uh…" She looked down at a nervous Eri. "Sure, I guess."

Kirishima was equally confused but picked up on Mirio's basic message, "Yeah okay…" He walked slowly toward the door and gave Eri an awkward grin, "Nice to see you, Eri." He turned back to raise his eyebrows at Uraraka, "I'll see you later then?"

"Don't be a stranger," Uraraka waved but was distracted as Eri started to make her way toward Uraraka. "Hey Eri."

Mirio clapped Kirishima on the shoulder as they stepped out into the hallway and the blonde man promptly shut the hospital room door behind them.

"What's going on in there?" Kirishima gave Miro a curious but serious look. "Why the secrecy?"

Mirio shrugged and guided the red-head down the hallway, "Let's just say that Eri is delivering on an old favor…"

Uraraka was entirely confused when she watched Mirio usher Kirishima out the door before shutting it. A very nervous Eri was at her bedside now, twiddling her thumbs.

"Eri?" The brunette frowned at the strange situation, "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in school right now?"

The girl shrugged before she finally met Uraraka's gaze, "Um yeah," She bit her a lip for a moment, "But Deku called me so Mirio pulled me out of school and brought me here."

"Deku?" Uraraka was completely puzzled now, "I guess I'm just a little bit confused."

Eri shuffled in place for a moment and it was clear she was nervous, "Well…" She finally let her gaze meet Uraraka's, "I always told Deku that one day I would show him how grateful I was for everything he did for me and he said that he'd save that favor for something that really mattered." She reached out and took Uraraka's hand in her small ones, "Well… He called me and said that you might need my help and if I can do it, I should help you."

"Help… me?" Uraraka looked down at her hand that Eri was holding and a realization dawned on her, "Oh Eri-"

"Miss Uraraka," Eri shook her head and gave the brunette a small smile, "UA has taught me a lot." She looked back at the closed door, "And Mirio has helped me so much." She turned back to Uraraka and rubbed her thumb over the top of Uraraka's hand, "I have control of my quirk now."

Uraraka shook her head hard, "Eri, I can't let you get in trouble for this."

"I won't!" Eri replied quickly, "Mirio and I talked about it a lot after... " Eri seemed to ponder her words, "Deku called on Monday. Deku has been so nice to me and both he and Mirio saved my life. I didn't think Deku would ever ask me but-"

"Eri." Uraraka interrupted and smiled at the young girl. "I understand if you feel like you owe it to Deku to help me, but I have amazing doctors. I will get better, I promise."

Eri was quite for a while and she bit her lip, "Deku told me about what happened. That you guys aren't… dating anymore."

Uraraka sighed and nodded her head slowly, "Yeah, we aren't dating anymore."

"And he said you'd tell me no," Eri held onto Uraraka's hand a little tighter. "He said that I should tell you something if you said no."

Uraraka felt like she knew what was coming and she didn't think her heart could handle it. Deku had told her that he'd never give up and Uraraka believed him. Was this some sort of guilting mechanism? She knew she was assuming the worst but it still tickled the back of her mind.

"He said that he understands why you'd say no and that he hopes that you'd change your mind because he still loves you. He said…" Eri looked down as her eyes began to well up, "H-he said that this would be t-the last thing he'd do to interfere with your life. That this is his parting gift and then… he told me that I should come back every day until you say yes."

Uraraka gulped as tears pricked her eyes and he didn't realize that she was gripping onto Eri's slender hand tightly now. "Eri… I can't accept. It could get you in trouble or worse, expelled from UA."

Eri shook her head softly, still refusing to meet Uraraka's gaze, "Mirio said he'd keep it a secret if you will. And Deku always said that sometimes you have to just be a hero, even when people don't want one." She finally looked up with teary eyes, "That you have to not be afraid to interfere when someone needs… a hero. Please Miss Uraraka, let me be your hero in Deku's place."

Uraraka felt a wash of guilt and relief as she realized that she was nodding her head. Her mind and heart were a mess as she felt herself letting go of her pain and heartbreak. She didn't even register when Eri shut her eyes and the horn on her forehead began to glow because she was letting herself grieve one more time.

Deku had been good to her. He'd been a hero when she needed a hero and a boyfriend when she needed a boyfriend. He'd taught her a lot about herself and he was an inspiration to her for years. There were many things wrong with their relationship and while it hurt to acknowledge them, she was glad that she had the time she did with him. Dating Deku had turned her into an adult and this gesture from him was a solemn but wonderful farewell. Like a goodbye kiss.

 _Goodbye Deku…_

The feeling of euphoria was unexpected but Uraraka welcomed it. For the first time in a long time, she felt at peace. She felt free. Eri released her hand but the feeling of full lungs and a mended back were enough for her to laugh and cry happy tears.

* * *

 **Hey everyone! I am so sorry that this update is so late but it's still technically Fanfiction Friday! Valentines day threw kind of a monkey wrench into the equation for me lmao. So here's an EXTRA long chapter!**

 **I'm gonna keep it short and sweet with this authors note but if you haven't already, you should go check out your review response on my profile page! You can also follow me on twitter onlycamefortaco for live chapter writing updates.**

 **I love all of you so much and I CAN'T WAIT FOR CHAPTER 22 and I think you should be too :) See you all on the next Fanfiction Friday!**

 **XOXOXO**


	22. Chapter 22

It had been four weeks since Uraraka was discharged from the hospital and Bakugo was curious as hell. He'd heard that she'd made some sort of miraculous recovery overnight and he couldn't help but wonder what had happened.

"Ayy!" Kirishima leaned his shoulder hard on the lockers beside Bakugo, "What do you have planned for the weekend?" He quirked an eyebrow at the blonde and crossed his arms.

Bakugo already knew where this was going, "Fuck off."

"I haven't even done anything," Kirishima gaped back, "You're back at work now so I thought maybe we could hang out or something." He leaned in a little closer to the blonde, "That is if you don't already have plans."

"Did you not hear me?" Bakugo turned a warning glare toward the red-head.

Kirishima huffed and rolled his eyes, "Dude are you ever going to go see her? She's asking about you. What, don't have the balls?"

Bakugo slammed his locker shut and threw his duffel bag over his shoulder, "I'm getting really fucking sick of you asking me about roundface." He clenched his jaw and glared, "If you're so pent up about it, you should go see her yourself."

"I see her a lot, Bakugo." Kirishima frowned back as he leaned off the lockers and began to follow the blonde out of the agency's locker room. "I'm talking about you."

"I don't want to see her," Bakugo's response was curt but held a certain note of dishonesty.

Kirishima narrowly avoided the door as the blonde tried to swing it shut in his face, "Dude, you are unbelievable." Kirishima hurried up to match Bakugo's fast walking pace, "And she wants to see you so why are you still punishing yourself? She asks about you all the time and you're starting to make her feel like you don't like her or something."

"Kirishima," Bakugo halted and turned his glare onto the red-head, "For fuck sake, shut up."

The red-head blinked at his friend for a moment. Normally, Bakugo would be livid and threatening to kill him if he didn't leave him alone but the blonde seemed abnormally distracted. The typical scowl seemed more troubled since Bakugo returned to work. He'd been more tolerant of Kirishima's pestering but only because it seemed like his mind was somewhere else. "Bakugo, I'm just trying to-"

"Shut up!" Bakugo spat before he began storming down the hallway toward the elevator.

Kirishima frowned for a moment before he followed the blonde again, "Why don't you come with me to her place tomorrow? Mina and I are going over there first thing in the morning to help her-"

Bakugo released an audible groan before he turned on Kirishima again, "Kirishima, I'm only going to tell you this shit once, so listen up!" He jabbed a finger into the red-head's chest, "I haven't visited Uraraka because she needs space while she figures her shit out. I'm not going to fucking bug her while she gets over Deku. I don't want anything to do with-" He stopped himself and realized he overshared.

Shit.

"Fucking leave me alone!" Bakugo snapped before turning away and making a break for the stairs. He'd be damned if he got trapped in an elevator with that moron for even a minute. He fully expected Kirishima to follow him into the stairwell but was pleasantly surprised when the red-head stayed put in the hallway.

Bakugo let the door shut to the stairwell before he yanked hard on his hair and leaned against the railing. He grit his teeth and let his hands fall over his eyes before taking a frustrated breath.

"Argh!" He chided himself for his outburst to Kirishima but he was mostly frustrated with himself for the very thing Kirishima was giving him grief about. He hadn't spoken Uraraka even once since the fight with Viper but truthfully, the more time that passed, the harder it became. It had been weeks, almost two months, since it happened

He had worked up the nerve late one night to go see her after he'd seen her favorite book for sale in the window of a shop but when he'd arrived at the hospital, the nurses had told him that she was sleeping and that he couldn't disturb her. She'd never reached out to him either so how else was he supposed to interpret that? He was better off leaving her alone.

He had been a mess since he last saw her and he'd confessed to Deku that he was in love with her. When Deku had asked him, it was almost like the clouds cleared away and gave him the answer he'd been avoiding since she showed up in Tokyo. The girl he'd known from high school had become a woman, a spitfire one at that. He'd warmed up to her and it drove him nuts that he had fallen for her so quickly without ever realizing it. He had done things for her that he doubted he'd do for even his own mother.

But he never worked up the nerve to tell her. Or see her. He couldn't get it off his mind.

He'd chalked it up to 'giving her space' but he knew that was a lie after the second week had passed and he had returned to work. He told himself often that after his shift that he'd go to see her and try to apologize for everything but he just… couldn't. That bothered him the most. What was holding him back?

Rejection? No. He can handle rejection. He's Katsuki Bakugo after all. Rejection has never frightened him.

Then what was it? Why was he so adamant to facing her?

He gripped the strap to his duffel bag and forced himself to descend the stairs. The question still circled his mind as he forced one foot in front of the other until he was outside the agency.

"Fuck it," Bakugo tried to slap some sense into himself. If it was true that she was asking about him, then perhaps it was better late than never to at least attempt to see her. He doesn't have to try and win her over. He doesn't need to date her or tell her that he loves her or whatever the fuck he was 'supposed' to do in a situation like this. Maybe he could just start with seeing her and asking how she was.

God, he sounds like such a pussy.

Autumn had set in over Tokyo and the blonde tried to clear his mind by focusing on that. A chilly breeze wove through the warm air of the early evening and he felt it comb over his hair. The rush hour crowd always moved quickly but he kept his pace steady as he tried to calm his racing heart. He was nervous and that unsettled him. He found himself playing with a loose string on the pocket of his blue jeans as he walked, letting the duffel bag bounce against the back of his legs.

A red brick apartment building came into view too soon and suddenly he felt the urge to turn back and avoid the situation altogether. Why was he doing this to himself? Girls are a distraction, right? Doesn't he want to be the top hero? Could he afford the distraction? Perhaps he should let it go and just forget every-

"Oi Bakugo!" A male voice called and his red eyes snapped up to try and see the person calling. The sunset blinded him and he pulled up a hand to shield his eyes as he heard footsteps jogging closer, "Hey man! What are you doing in this part of town?"

A familiar face came into view and Bakugo was shocked to see blonde hair and a million dollar smile, "The fuck?" He blinked a few times, hoping the flash of the sun had temporarily blinded him. What was Mirio doing at Uraraka's place?

"Did you come to help?" Mirio jabbed a thumb over his shoulder, pointing back at Uraraka's apartment. "I don't know how much more we were planning on doing tonight but another pair of hands would certainly help a lot."

"Help?" Bakugo repeated back with a shielded expression as he adjusted the shoulder strap of his duffel.

Mirio blinked back at the blonde for a second and his smile faltered a bit, "With the move?"

Bakugo felt a stone drop in his stomach, "She's moving?"

"Uh…" Mirio glanced back at the apartment and twisted his mouth a bit, "No. She's getting rid of Deku's stuff. Sending it back to his mom, actually." Mirio glanced back at Bakugo and shrugged, "It's a lot so we've all been pitching in to help. It's all getting moved out tomorrow so we're trying to get the last of it packed up tonight."

Bakugo's expression didn't give up his thoughts as he held his scowl, "I thought you worked at UA."

"I still do," Mirio nodded enthusiastically, "But when you have a friend in need…" He glanced back at the apartment, "You show up."

Bakugo grunted with an undertone of sarcasm before he followed Mirio's gaze to the doorway on the third floor of the apartment building. It was propped open but from his angle, he couldn't see beyond that. Uraraka was nowhere to be seen so he assumed she was still inside. "Whatever. I guess I can help. I don't have shit to do anyway."

Mirio cast a sideways glance at the hot-headed blonde and smirked inwardly, "Cool. I'm loading up some stuff in my car to take back tonight and I could use a hand." He nodded toward the car parked at the curb. "Eri has a thing in the morning so I won't be back to help until tomorrow night. She and I are going to drive the truck back and deliver everything."

Bakugo didn't give a shit about what Mirio was going to do, he was just irritated that the other man was there at all. If he was honest with himself, he wasn't sure what to expect by randomly showing up at Uraraka's place but this was not on the list. Mirio was too much like Deku and it didn't take much for that to grate Bakugo's already frayed nerves. And when did Uraraka and this fucking chump become such great friends that she'd call him to help her move?

"Whatever," Bakugo finally replied before following Mirio up the sidewalk toward the car. He glanced at the boxes sitting on the sidewalk and scoffed, "I'm going to go up first." He glanced up the stairs.

Mirio couldn't help but smile as he nodded, "Sure thing! I'll be here when you get back." He watched Bakugo grip the strap of his duffel tighter as he began making his way toward the building, "And on your way back, could you grab the box by the door? I think I can fit that too."

"Tch," Bakugo grunted and didn't bother to look back as he climbed the stairs. His hands felt clammy and he found himself flexing his fingers. His breath quickened as he neared the open door and by the time he reached the second story, he could hear soft indie music coming from the apartment.

He glanced up before ascending the last flight of stairs and stopping to the side of her doorway. He took a second to glance down at Mirio and found the other man focused on loading the car. He shuffled in place for a moment as the realization hit him. He's outside her apartment right now. He's going to see her. He's going to talk to her.

How the hell did he get here?

Before he could let the doubt set it, he walked through the door and it felt like one of the bravest things he ever did. The first thing he noticed were boxes everywhere. They were stacked on her kitchen counter and piled up in her living room. But the strangest part about it was the few boxes and items floating in random places throughout the apartment. Cheesy indie music played from a bluetooth stereo floating in the center of the living room with a man singing something almost forlorn with a ukulele.

Bakugo glanced around the apartment with slightly raised eyebrows before he let his duffel bag fall to the floor with a thud and he mindlessly kicked it away from the doorway.

"Mirio, is that you?" Uraraka's voice called from her bedroom. "Could you bring me the box on the coffee table? It should have 'hoodies' written on the side."

Bakugo glanced to his left and his eyes glazed over her awful pastel blue sofa before he found the box sitting on the worn out maple wood table. He slowly made his way around the mess of boxes and floating pieces until he reached it and picked it up. His heart raced in his chest as he made his way toward her bedroom door.

He paused as he heard something fall on the ground inside and he could hear Uraraka mutter something under her breath before there was a loud clatter of things falling.

"Oh my-" She grunted and then he could hear her groan in frustration. "Why was that even sitting like that? What in the- Ugh!"

Bakugo felt his heart leap to his throat as he took a bold step around the corner until he was in the doorway and making his way into the room. The first thing he saw was the bed in the center of the room. It was low to the ground and the duvet was a light grey. It looked soft and fluffy despite how it was off center and bunched up a bit on the left corner. Half of the pillows were toppled over on the ground and a box sat on the right side, overflowing with blankets that hadn't been folded.

A tall pile of laundry was sitting in the left corner of the room beside her floor length mirror but movement to the right drew his attention. He saw two doors, one of which was open to her messy bathroom and the other to her closet. She was kneeling on the floor of her closet picking at one of her fingernails and his breath seemed to catch in his throat.

"For crying out loud," She hissed as she examined the nail closely and used her other hand to tuck a tuft of loose hair back into the messy ponytail that was falling out. She was wearing black sports shorts and a loose shoujo t-shirt. She seemed frustrated as she huffed another sigh without looking his way. "If I keep breaking nails like this, I won't have any left!"

She tossed away some of the shoes that had clearly fallen off the closet shelf and ran a hand over her face, "Did you get the box?" She moved her hand down to her chin before she turned toward the bedroom.

Bakugo felt like he was stuck in place when he saw her brown eyes widen in surprise and her hand hovered on her chin before it slowly traveled back up to cover her mouth. He couldn't blink or breath or say a word. He simply stared at her blankly, nerves shooting up his back to tickle his fingertips and numb his brain. What on earth could he say to her after all this time?

"Is that…" She blinked and shook her head a bit before she moved to stand up. "Is that Bakugo I see?" Her hand dropped away from her mouth by the time she was on her feet and she beamed at him.

Bakugo felt his fingertips tighten on the edge of the box in his arms. His throat felt dry and he couldn't bring himself to move his lips as her smile hit him like a truck.

"Wow," Uraraka took careful steps out of the closet and her tone held a certain tease to it, "I was wondering when you'd finally come around." She met him in the center of the room and she smiled fondly as she took the box from his hands. "You really like to take your time, huh?"

He couldn't take his eyes off her face and he cleared his throat awkwardly before trying to wet his dry lips. "Whatever."

"Yeah whatever," Uraraka smirked and rolled her eyes jokingly as she carried it over to the bed and plopped it down on the duvet. "So you came to help out a bit?"

Bakugo was unsure what to do with his hands so he shoved them in his pockets and resisted the urge to fold them into fists there, "I came to tell you to get your ass back to work."

"So you miss me at work?" Uraraka seemed almost playful as she shot the remark back at him over her shoulder before she began stuffing the hoodies that had been piled up on the side of the bed into the box.

"Kirishima won't shut up about you," Bakugo was relieved that she seemed so relaxed. He hadn't been sure what she'd say to him but this seemed so normal. He couldn't help but wonder why she wasn't angrier.

Uraraka laughed a little as she pushed the hoodies down in the box so she could fold up the top, "He and Mina have been around a lot. They've been a really big help. Mirio too." She finally got the box shut before she turned toward the door to see if the other man was in the apartment but found it empty. She dusted her hands and chuckled softly, "He even offered to drive the box truck back tomorrow."

Bakugo felt a spike of discomfort at that comment, "I didn't know you guys were friends."

"Honestly, we weren't really." Uraraka shrugged and she scooted the box away before she sat down on the bed. "He kinda just… popped in unexpectedly when I was in the hospital. He's just that kind of guy, you know? He's always willing to help, so he's been playing the middle man as I try and get rid of all this stuff." She frowned a bit and her foot kicked at a pillow on the floor.

Bakugo grunted in recognition but he watched her with slightly narrowed eyes, "There's a lot of shit you're getting rid of." It wasn't a lie. More than half of the apartment was boxed up at this point so he couldn't help but wonder what that would leave her with.

"Yeah," She tucked some hair behind her ears and sighed, "It's a lot. I guess I didn't realize how little I own until today. I'm going to have to replace a few things." She finally met his gaze with a small smile, "But I'm really glad you're here, Bakugo. I've missed you."

"Tch," The blonde felt the back of his neck get hot and he looked away, "Well I came to tell you to get your shit together if you're better. I'm not allowed to get back on the Viper case until you're back too."

"Really?" Uraraka perked up at his reply, "So is this your Bakugo way of telling me that you missed me too?"

He didn't know how to respond to that so he simply turned toward her door, "Don't put words in my mouth, roundface."

She chuckled softly as she looked at his back. He seemed tense and uncomfortable. It almost seemed like he was nervous but she disregarded it. She hadn't seen Bakugo in a while and the last time she'd spoken to him, she had said and done some things that she didn't know how to address yet. "Well if you don't mind staying for a bit to help, I'm sure we could use it."

Bakugo felt his shoulders relax a bit and he nodded, "Yeah, sure. I don't have anything better to do."

"I'm almost done in here," Uraraka glanced back at the pile of Deku's shoes in her closet and felt herself inwardly groan. "Could you just start organizing the boxes that are already packed? That way when everyone comes to help tomorrow, it won't take long to load the truck?"

Bakugo didn't reply, opting to head out of the room and back into the apartment. He glanced around at the mess of boxes and random items floating in the air, "Could you put this shit down? It's a fucking hazard."

Uraraka bubbled with a giggle as she ducked her head through the doorway at him, "Oh sorry! I'm trying to strengthen my quirk up again but yeah, I can." She pressed her fingertips together with a smile, "Release!"

Everything fell to the floor with clatters and thuds and Bakugo's eyes immediately fell on the bluetooth speaker, "And can you turn this shit off?"

"No can do on that one," Uraraka called back from inside her bedroom. "My house, my music!"

Bakugo grunted but chose not to press the issue. It was a small concession to make for his absence lately. He wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans before he glanced around the room at the mess and set to work. He ignored the request from Mirio to help outside and he justified it with the fact that he's a grown man. He can load a car by himself, right? The blonde grit his teeth. No, he'd rather see that guy fuck off completely.

Evening fell into night as the three of them worked on packing up the trinkets in her living room and almost all the dishes in her kitchen. The boxes lining the door slowly began to fill her apartment and Bakugo was content to work in silence as he observed Mirio and Uraraka laughing and messing around. Once he'd loaded the car, Mirio had decided to stay a while a longer to help them both wrap up all of Deku's collectibles that had been organized on shelves in the living room and pack them away.

He had to admit that packing up Deku's stuff was an odd feeling and it was an even stranger blink into the green-haired idiot's life with Uraraka. Almost everything that Uraraka had belonged to Deku. He had so many collectibles and most of the furniture was his outside of the couch and her mattress. Bakugo had a hard time bringing himself to be gentle with the items as he placed them in boxes and taped them shut. But he was silent in his dissent for her former boyfriend and he begrudgingly packed them up with care.

Uraraka was surprisingly chipper and she seemed to say one phrase over and over again. "Get rid of it" was her staple line for the night. She seemed eager for all of it to go and that stirred something inside Bakugo. He wasn't sure how to feel about it but he could tell it wasn't a bad feeling. As it began to grow late, he felt the doubt that had burdened him for the last few weeks begin to fade away. He could hardly take his eyes off her smiling face and for once, he let himself look at her when he wanted to.

"I think I have some leftover pizza if you guys are hungry," Uraraka wandered to her refrigerator and popped it open with a smile. "Kirishima drank all the beer though, so we're going to be stuck with water."

"Actually," Mirio dusted his hands on his pants and smiled, "I probably need to get on the road. I want to call Eri before she goes to bed. She had a test today so I'm excited to hear how she did."

"Oh that's wonderful!" Uraraka cooed and smiled at the tall blonde man. "Will you let me know how she did later?"

"Absolutely," Mirio smiled back proudly, "But knowing her? She aced it."

"I can't wait to hear," She shut the door to the fridge and twirled on her toes toward him. "Are you sure you don't want to stay for pizza?"

Mirio swooped her into a bear hug and laughed deeply, "I wish I could!" He released her when she started to giggle and he glanced across the kitchen counter to see Bakugo cursing as he tried to peel back the tape on the tape gun, "But I think I'm gonna get going." He glanced back at Uraraka and quirked an eyebrow before nodding his head toward the blonde man in the living room. "Besides… I think you guys have some catching up to do on your own."

Uraraka suddenly looked nervous but she nodded as she followed Mirio's nod toward Bakugo, "Well thank you so much for all your help." She pulled him into another hug and murmured into his chest, "And thank you for everything else." When she pulled away she smiled up at him but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Oh you bet!" Mirio patted her shoulder before he brushed past her and headed for her front door. "If you're lucky, Eri will tag along too!"

"I'd love to see her," Uraraka followed him until they reached the doorway. "Drive safe, okay?"

"I always do," He turned toward Bakugo, "Nice to see you too, Bakugo. We'll have to grab drinks sometime, eh?"

Bakugo looked up from the tape gun he was wrestling with and blinked, "Pass."

"Well I tried," Mirio shrugged and chuckled before he stepped outside and Uraraka moved to shut the front door. "I'm glad to see you're doing well. Goodnight Uraraka!"

"Goodnight Mirio," She nodded at him one last time before she slowly shut the door, never taking her eyes off the other man until it was shut.

Bakugo couldn't help but glance at the brunette once the door was closed and he momentarily stopped messing with the roll of tape as the air between them grew thick. He watched as she rested her forehead against the door for a long moment before she leaned away and turned toward him.

She caught his eyes flash back toward the tape gun and she suddenly felt awkward. Her indie music was playing softly in the background and she was thankful for its help to avoid a heavy silence. She rolled forward on her toes and played with her hands nervously in front of her. What happens now? What could she say to him?

"Er…" She cleared her throat and glanced around the room, intentionally avoiding him. "So how ar-"

"What the shit!" Bakugo suddenly snapped and threw the tape gun on the couch. "I can't get this fucking thing to work!"

Uraraka was shocked for a moment before a chuckle fluttered to her lips, "Oh my…" She circled around the sofa to pick up the tool and she scanned the roll for the edge of the tape, "What is it Bakugo? Jealous that you don't have fingernails like mine?" She effortlessly picked at it until the tape peeled back and she was able to set it in the gun.

"Tch," He grouched his way across the room and snatched it out of her hands, "I thought you'd broken all of them." He didn't spare her a glance as he turned back around and made his way back to the stack of boxes to tape up the last one resting on top.

"Almost all of them," She rolled her eyes and meandered after him, her hands hanging at her sides. "And I have all this to blame for it," She nodded at the mess.

"Whatever," Bakugo grunted, "You're pretty much giving everything you own away from what I can see."

"That's not true," Uraraka shoved a box over on the sofa so she could plop down on it, "I still have my sofa!"

"And what, a fork?" Bakugo finished taping the box before turning his red eyes onto the brunette.

"Two forks," She held up to fingers and smirked back, holding his intense gaze.

Bakugo was almost amused by her response and he set the tape gun down on top of the box, "You really won't have much left."

Uraraka glanced at the mess of stuff that was going to be moved out the next day, "Yeah, I know… But it's better that way. I'd rather be able to start fresh."

Bakugo slowly glanced a stack of several boxes labelled with the same label and he felt a twinge of annoyance in his chest, "For fuck sake, who needs all this All Might shit?"

"Years of collecting," Uraraka shrugged. "I used to ask myself the same question. It was becoming a problem."

"It's not your problem anymore," Bakugo grunted before leaving the living room and heading for the refrigerator. "So you got pizza?"

"It's leftover from yesterday but help yourself," Uraraka glanced over the top of her sofa as she watched the blonde pull the box from the fridge. He popped open a few of her cupboards, searching for a plate and she almost gave herself away with her stifled laughter.

Bakugo was growing frustrated as he opened the third cupboard to see only a few random bowls and a line of cups, "What the fuck?" He glanced around for a moment before he started to search the drawers under the counter tops.

"You won't find any," Uraraka called from her spot on the couch. "They're packed in a box and I don't remember where they are now."

He turned around and narrowed his eyes at her, "So you're saying that you don't own a single plate?"

"Not one," Uraraka shook her head and chuckled, giving him an endearing smile "I guess it's on the to-buy list now."

Bakugo couldn't believe his ears, "That's fucking stupid."

"Oh come on," Uraraka shrugged, "They were a gift from All-Might years ago. I couldn't keep them."

"You deserve one fucking plate, roundface." Bakugo turned his attention to the pizza box and frowned. Suddenly his appetite for pizza had left him. "You got anything I can put in a bowl?"

Uraraka seemed to think for a moment, "I could try and cook something. I should have a pan somewhere." She rose up from the sofa and stretched her sore back.

"God no," Bakugo shook his head hard. "I remember how bad your cooking was in high school. The whole dorm building would smell."

Uraraka feigned hurt as she let her hand fly over her heart, "That was one time!"

"One time too many," Bakugo remarked with an unamused expression.

"Well I remember you were a big fan of my mochi," Uraraka smirked back and moved her hand to her hip.

Bakugo remembered her mochi. He didn't really have much of a sweet tooth but she made half decent mochi. "Don't flatter yourself, roundface. I ate that to spare others the stomach ache."

"Oh, absolutely," Uraraka remarked back with the same sarcastic tone, "Because you were just so noble in high school."

He was perturbed now and he scowled at her, "I was the only one with a stomach strong enough to handle that shit."

"Makes sense," Uraraka tapped her chin thoughtfully, "I can only imagine the toxic cesspool your insides are after trying that insanely hot curry place you took me to."

Now he was taken aback. Did she just insult his favorite restaurant? "Do you really want to go there?"

"I've been here for a while," Uraraka glanced at her wrist, pretending to look at a watch. "I was curious when you'd finally show up." She tossed him a playful smirk.

That did it. "If you want to talk abo-"

Uraraka raised her hand and smiled, "I think I deserve that one, don't you?"

The blonde simmered and frowned deeply, fighting with his pride. Reality seemed to grab him by the tongue and he looked away from her. That's right… He'd been ignoring her. Why would he think it was alright to berate her? Or make fun of her cooking?

Uraraka saw a dark look cover Bakugo's features as he angled his face away from her and she felt guilty. She didn't mean to upset him or remind him of their situation. "I didn't mean it like-"

"Whatever," Bakugo muttered and turned back to her kitchen, a sliver of pity working its way into his emotions as he glanced at the boxed up kitchen. She'd been through enough and he shouldn't pile more onto that. It would be selfish.

He released a silent breath and glanced at the clock on her stove. It was late and perhaps he should go to spare her the trouble of his overstayed welcome. She was probably tired and perhaps he was making her uncomfortable. "I should go."

Just as he was about to turn to leave, he felt arms looping their way around his torso and he looked down to see her loosely embracing him from behind. He froze up completely as he saw her hands hold her opposite forearms, trapping him in her arms.

"Thank you," She murmured into his back and she squeezed lightly. "For saving my life."

He was completely stiff and his jaw fell open just a little. What the fuck was he supposed to do now?

"You don't have to say anything," Uraraka couldn't help the small smile on her face as she felt how tense he was. "And you don't owe me anything." She pressed her forehead just below his shoulder blades and breathed a hot breath into his dark blue shirt. "I'm just…" She squeezed him again, "So happy to see you again."

A tingle ran up Bakugo's spine and he actively fought against shuddering. He rolled his head back a little but avoided looking behind him at all costs. He took a long and deep breath, forcing himself to relax his rigid arms that hung at his sides. His mind was a jumbled mess and he wanted nothing more than to clear it and say something. Anything.

"Please don't blame yourself," Uraraka muttered against his back and she felt a little dazed as she finally registered how good he smelled. She tried to shove the thought out of her mind as she forced words out of her mouth that she'd been rehearsing for weeks, "Because none of this is your fault. You were there at the right moment. You saved me… Just in time."

Bakugo felt a stab of guilt. Did she think he'd been avoiding her because of that? Because she wasn't able to stop Constrictor before she made the decision to go into the fog? She was right. That wasn't his fault. It had been out of his control at the time and he wasn't one to dwell on things that were out of his control. He was shameful for another reason and he needed to clear the air, "I didn't bring him in."

Uraraka tensed a bit as she felt the vibrations of his low tone in his torso. He seemed to relax his shoulders and he softly shook his head, partially covering the ceiling light in her kitchen and casting a shadow over her. She loosened her grip on him a bit to acknowledge his words but stayed silent.

"I let Viper get away because…" The blonde tightened his hands into loose fists, "Because I was too distracted and angry. I let my emotions get the better of me and I didn't keep my word to you."

Uraraka was silent for a long time as she let his words sink in and it all made sense. She'd been wrong this entire time. He wasn't avoiding her because of her injuries. He was avoiding her because he was too ashamed to face her for not keeping a promise. A last wish.

She felt her lip tremble a bit and she shamelessly pressed her face into his back to try and shield herself from her new emotions. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Bakugo." She pulled her arms tight around his waist, "I forgive you."

It wasn't the response he expected. He'd expected her to tell him it was okay and be wishy-washy about it, doing her typical Uraraka routine. He'd even thought she might be cold to him about it or dismissive. He'd hoped she'd be angry with him and drive him away, giving him what he felt he deserved. But forgiveness had never crossed his mind. An acknowledgement of his failure and a call to do better. Now he was truly at a loss for words and he could feel the warmth of her embrace, her nose pressed against his back.

It was so foreign… So uncomfortable… So welcome.

Neither said anything for awhile and eventually Uraraka's arms slacked, releasing him. He closed his eyes for a brief second, lamenting the loss of contact, before turning slowly turning toward her, "I should go."

Uraraka had turned to the side to hide the forlorn look on her face, "Will you come see me again soon?"

His eyes tried to find her face but her hair had covered it, "If you want me to."

"I do," She replied softly. "I've… missed you."

Bakugo swallowed thickly, "You should come back to work."

"I will. I have one more week of leave before I can." She inhaled sharply, wiping her emotions off her face before she turned to give him a small smile. "But the moment I can, I'll be there to annoy you."

He almost smirked but ended up just exhaling through his nose, "I'm counting on it, roundface." He held her gaze for a moment and it felt like he let down a little bit of his guard. She looked sad but somehow peaceful as her gaze went straight through him. Her cheeks were a warm color and he felt his hand twitch, itching to reach for them, but he fought against it. It was too soon. He couldn't. She deserved better than that so he'd accept her forgiveness for now and try again some other time.

He slowly maneuvered past her and made for the door, scooping up his duffel bag along the way. "I'll come help tomorrow. I have an interview in the morning and we all know how long those take."

Uraraka gushed with embarrassment, "I don't know, actually." She laughed nervously, "But I'm sure I'll know soon enough. Every news agency in town has called me for one."

"You should give one soon," Bakugo wanted to kick himself for his last remark, "Everyone in town is still talking about Uravity. Apparently she got her big break."

"Apparently," Uraraka shrugged and giggled softly. "I'll call Edgeshot's PR director tomorrow. You're right. I should do one."

The blonde nodded and let his face relax as he waited for her by the door. "I just want you to know…" He licked his lips, trying to force the words out as evenly as possible, "I'm glad… That you're okay."

Uraraka met his gaze and felt like she was seeing a new side to the blonde. He didn't look angry or guarded. He seemed genuine and it stirred something in her that made her heart pick up the pace, "T-thank you." She was immediately embarrassed by her stutter and tried to distract from it by loudly opening up her apartment door, "Sorry that I didn't have any plates for the pizza."

He was confused by her sudden change of topic but he'd take it, "Yeah whatever, I'll just get something on my way home." He stepped through the doorway and glanced back at her one last time, "Goodnight Uraraka."

"Goodnight," She smiled softly and nodded at him. "Thank you... Bakugo."

"Don't mention it," Bakugo shrugged before turning away and beginning his descent down the stairs. He didn't look back and he didn't hear her door shut until he was nearly to the second story. Something about that fact made him smile to himself. Maybe she hadn't wanted him to leave after all, but it was better that he did. The timing still wasn't right. He could wait until it was right.

When he finally reached the dark street he recalled how he'd felt only a few hours earlier and a small feeling of victory overcame him. Alright… Maybe that hadn't been so hard after all.

* * *

 **Okay so it's not the fluff you were looking for but it's what I could afford to give lmao. I had different plans for this chapter but once I got to writing it, those plans changed ENTIRELY lol! It's a little less fluffy than I intended but it feels right, right? We finally have some resolution between Uraraka and Bakugo! Yay!**

 **As always, you guys are AMAZING IN EVERY WAY and I LOVE YOU ALL. I have already responded to all the reviews on chapter 21 so you should go check those out on my profile! I'm sure you're all sick of the twitter routine but it's for new readers... You can find my twitter profile in my bio for live updates on chapter writing! I'd love to see you there and please, say hello!**

 **All the chapters following this one will be full of that shit you all are craving. KACCHAKO IS NEAR MY DEARS! It should be great from here on out! And I think you guys are going to be pleasantly surprised in the coming chapters because I think I have some really fun ideas to play around with. This fic is still a long way from it's last chapter! So just enjoy the ride!**

 **On a weird ass side note, I need to just brain barf for a minute. I started watching Evangelion for the first time (yeah I know you don't have to tell me what I've been missing) and OH MY GOD I have a problem. I literally can't stop watching it. I've spent every one of my lunches at work watching it and it's been so hard to focus on writing this week because of it. Damn you Evangelion! But damn you, I love you. Dammit. Any other Eva lovers here? I'm almost done watching it and I'd love to talk about Eva things with you.**

 **Aside from that side note, I just want to let you all know that I appreciate you so much and I am so blessed to have you all reading my fic. It means so much to me and Fridays have become my FAVORITE day of the week because it's my chance to share my kacchako love with you all! Gosh, I am so lucky. You guys are the BEST. I already can't wait until the next Fanfiction Friday and I hope you feel the same way! See you in seven days!**

 **(special shoutout to Patrewe. I hope you're feeling better. ILY)**

 **xoxoxo**


	23. Chapter 23

"Wow," Mina brushed her hands on her black leggings and grinned as she stood in the doorway of Uraraka's apartment. "You and Mirio got a lot done last night!"

"Seriously," Kirishima stepped around the pinkette and nodded in approval, "We should be able to clear all this stuff out pretty quick. We could even go out tonight to celebrate."

"Oh," Mina cooed and nodded excitedly, "We absolutely have to go out tonight to celebrate!"

Uraraka was standing beside her kitchen counter and she chuckled, "Well we had a little bit of extra help so we just have to finish packing a few things and then load it up."

Mina blinked, "Well that's awesome!" She glanced at the stacks of boxes in her living room, "Are you thinking of using your quirk for all these so we don't have to lug them down the stairs by hand?" Her tone was hopeful as she gave the brunette a curious look.

Uraraka smirked, "Well of course!" She placed her fingertips on one box and let it hover in the air over her counter top, "Mirio told me that I should be putting more load on my quirk little by little so I'll be ready to go back to work when it's time." She pressed her fingers together and let the box drop back down.

Kirishima grinned and made his way toward her bedroom and poked his head through the door, "So we're leaving the couch, right?"

"Mhmm," Uraraka smiled at the beat up couch and felt a semblance of nostalgia at the memories she'd made on it.

"What about the bed?" He glanced back at the two women.

Uraraka shrugged, "The mattress is staying but the bed frame is going." She crossed the apartment so she could stand beside Kirishima in her bedroom doorway. "The dresser is staying too. Same with the mirror."

Kirishima moved past her to stand in front of the metal frame bed and placed his hands on his hips, "I brought a few tools so if you can help me move the mattress, I can start taking the frame apart."

"That would be so helpful," Uraraka breathed with a note of gratitude, "I'm useless with that stuff."

"Sure thing," Kirishima grinned as he watched Uraraka begin pulling the sheets off the mattress. "I'm going to run and grab my tools." He turned on his heels and made his way back into the apartment to see Mina standing in the living room. "You want to help me move the mattress when I get back?"

"I got it!" Uraraka called from the other room. "It weighs nothing to me!"

"Nevermind," Kirishima shrugged and made his way to the front door, "I'll be right back."

Mina chuckled softly at the redhead as he shut the door behind him. She glanced around to see a few loose items that still hadn't been packed into a box. She reached down and began gathering up the pieces that had been cast aside from the night before and decided she needed a box.

She spied the tape gun on the sofa and grabbed it on her way back to the kitchen to grab a box. Just as she popped the box down to tape up the bottom, she spied something on Uraraka's counter that looked terribly out of place. She took a few steps closer and found a watch. A very expensive watch.

"Hmm," She murmured to herself as she picked up the heavy silver watch and glanced at the face. It looked vaguely familiar but she could say definitively that it wasn't Deku's. He wouldn't wear something so… gaudy. Mirio's maybe?

"Actually I could use that help," Uraraka called from the bedroom.

"Coming!" Mina set the watch back down and ran into the room to help Uraraka maneuver the mattress so that she didn't accidentally break her stand-up mirror.

"Thank you," Uraraka smiled and released the mattress as they rested it against the wall beside her door. "I didn't realize this thing was so bulky!"

"No worries," Mina smiled cheerfully, "We're here to help!"

Uraraka smiled back at her friend sweetly, "I really can't say thank you enough. Tonight's first round is on me, okay?"

"Oh absolutely it is," Mina teased and made a funny face before she observed her friend a little closer. Uraraka seemed relaxed and carefree and Mina couldn't help but wonder why she seemed so cheerful. "You seem like you're doing better."

Uraraka breathed a heavy sigh and glanced around at the boxed up room, "Yeah… I feel like I am. It's just… weird now."

Mina tossed the brunette a sympathetic look, "I can't say I know what it's like. Have you talked to Deku at all?"

Uraraka shook her head hard, "Nope. Well, other than letting him know that I wanted to move his stuff out." She moved to kick her duvet and sheets out of the way to sit in a pile against the wall, "He didn't reply to me. His mom just called me instead. It's probably better that way."

"I'm just surprised," Mina quirked her eyebrow at the brunette, "You seem to be moving on pretty quick."

"Well I have you guys to thank for that," Uraraka shrugged but kept her back to Mina, "All of you have been so great and helpful. Why be sad when I have such amazing friends?"

Mina could see the back of Uraraka's neck reddening a bit and it piqued her interest, "Uraraka, I know you..." She moved closer with narrowed eyes, "And if I'm not mistaken, you're blushing!" She pulled on the brunette's shoulder and forced her to turn.

"Mina!" Uraraka fumbled with a burst of giggles, "I am not blushing!"

"You so are!" Mina guffawed and watched as Uraraka's cheeks turned a bright shade of pink, "Who is it? Who are you rebounding with?!" She grabbed Uraraka's shoulders and shook her.

"Shh!" Uraraka giggled and tried to hide her blush behind her hands, "I am not rebounding!"

Mina frowned but her eyes sparkled mischievously, "It's Mirio, isn't it?" She shook the brunette a little harder, "Am I right? I'm right, aren't I?"

"Hello!" Kirishima called and the sound of the front door closing shook the two girls away from their conversation. The red-head stepped into the bedroom and found a bright-faced Uraraka and a snickering pinkette, "Did I miss something?"

"Nope!" Both girls burst out but neither could stop giggling. Mina gave Uraraka a childish side-eye before elbowing the brunette.

Kirishima set down the small toolbox as he narrowed his eyes at the women, "How many times do I have to tell you two," He shook his head and tsk'd a few times, "I want in on girls night gossip, okay?"

Mina gave the red-head a teasing smirk, "Oh, you would love that, wouldn't you?"

"That's what I've been saying!" Kirishima huffed exasperatedly, "I love girls night and I want in!"

Mina sashayed across the room and patted the red-head on the bicep, "Keep dreaming, big guy."

"I'm not giving up!" Kirishima called after Mina as he watched her leave the bedroom. He turned to the brunette that was lightly slapping her cheeks, "Uraraka, you've always known how much I love you, tell me!"

Uraraka couldn't stop the burst of girly giggles before shaking her head, "Sorry Kirishima," She glanced warily at the door before slowly slipping through it, "Mina is the chairwoman of the girls club. She has final say on who's in and who's out."

"And you're out!" Mina's voice called teasingly from the kitchen.

"Lame!" Kirishima grouched before flipping open the toolbox. "I'll just be in here, doing the manly work, I guess."

"As you should!" Mina teased back from across the apartment. "Uraraka, come help me with the womanly work!"

The jokes carried on like that for a few hours. It didn't take long for Kirishima to break down the bed frame and the trio set to packing the last of the items scattered around the apartment. By the time they broke for lunch, almost everything was done and ready to be loaded into the truck.

"Pizza again?" Uraraka was tapping on her phone, trying to find some takeout for lunch.

"What if we did ramen?" Kirishima tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Or sandwiches. I'm starving so I want something hearty. Besides, I'm kind of pizza'd out, you know?"

Uraraka twisted her mouth thoughtfully, "There's a sandwich place right down the street, I think." She reached for her purse and shoes. "I could just run down there really quick and grab something for all of us."

"You don't mind?" Mina asked skeptically and glanced at Kirishima. "Want us to come along?"

"No," Uraraka shook her head and smiled, "You guys have done plenty. Just hang out and take a break. I won't be gone for long at all."

Mina hesitated for a moment but she didn't argue with the brunette as she bustled out the door, pushing them to take a few minutes and relax while she grabbed lunch. "She's really a do-it-all kind of girl, isn't she?" Mina commented mostly to herself once the door was finally shut.

"Uraraka?" Kirishima moved the boxes sitting on the sofa to a new place so he could sit, "Oh yeah, she's one hell of a girl."

Mina raised her eyebrows in agreement before she wandered over to the kitchen and began sorting the boxes on the counter. "Should I move these so we have somewhere to put the food?"

Kirishima had just sat down on the sofa and he waved his hand lazily over his head, "You can. I'm staying put. My feet are killing me."

"So typical," Mina teased as she pulled a box off the counter top and set it neatly on top of one of the many piles scattered around. She repeated this until all but two boxes remained and her eyes snagged on the watch she'd found earlier. "Ooo," She set down the box she was holding and grabbed it. "I bet this belongs to the mystery guy."

Kirishima threw his head back to look at Mina upside down from his place on the couch, "What are you talking about?"

Mina held up the watch but Kirishima couldn't quite see it due to the way he was positioned, "Mystery guy! Uraraka is way too peppy so I'm willing to bet she's seeing someone in secret." Mina held the watch up to her face and chuckled, "That feels weird to say. Uraraka getting a rebound? I never would have thought."

Kirishima's was deeply interested and he stood up from his spot on the sofa to come into the kitchen, "Let me see that," He snatched it from her hands and frowned at it. "It's just a watch."

Mina snatched it back and frowned, "Well I think it's safe to say it's not Deku's." She dangled it for him to see it, "I mean… look at it!" She shoved it closer to his face, "It's huge and like… so awful." She pulled the watch back so she could look at it again, "I don't know. It's just so tacky."

Kirishima bit his tongue hard, "It could be anyone's but that doesn't mean that Uraraka is hooking up with someone, Mina." He had to be careful about his words. Mina was especially pervasive and she had a way of seeing straight through him.

"Why else would it be here?" She stared hard at it, "Could it be Mirio's?" She knew this watch. She'd seen it before. Where?

"Doubtful," Kirishima chuckled dryly, "If you think that thing is too flashy for Deku then what makes you think Mirio would wear anything close to that? They're basically the same person in their weird All-Might-is-everything sort of way."

"Ugh!" Mina huffed in frustration, "I swear I've seen this stupid watch before. I just can't quite put my finger on it."

Kirishima felt an uneasy feeling crawling up his back and he decided not to respond. He knew damn well who's watch that was. Bakugo wears it all the time. It was the blonde's high school graduation gift from his parents. All he could do was hope that Mina didn't figure it out. But the red-head was intensely curious now. Why was Bakugo's watch here?

"I give up," Mina grumbled and set it back down on the counter. "I guess I'll just have to ask her about it later."

Kirishima stared for a moment longer at the watch before going back to his spot on the sofa. He was suddenly reminded of the blonde's interview that morning and he whipped out his phone to look it up. Just as he was about to click the link, he realized that Mina would overhear it and possibly remember that Bakugo exists and that he wears that watch a lot.

He internally groaned and clicked on an article that had been posted about it instead. The headline read " _Ground Zero Returns to Edgeshot Agency Six Weeks after Keihin Battle."_

Kirishima eyed the photo under the headline. The blonde looked as grouchy as ever. Interviews were far from his strong suit but he didn't look entirely uncomfortable seated in a bar stool, clad in his hero gear. He almost chuckled at the scowl carved into Bakugo's features. He could practically hear the disdainful grunt as the photo was snapped.

He scrolled down to read about the interview and skimmed through the majority of it. They asked him a lot about Viper and how the agency had been able to receive such valuable intel on the Mamushi leader to begin with. Bakugo's answers were always short and straight to the point and as Kirishima read them, he could hear Bakugo's voice in his mind. The guy really was a one-trick pony when it came to talking to the media.

He was nearly finished with the interview transcript when the final topic caught his eye.

" _Reporter: Ground Zero, can you give any new information on Uravity's situation? Will she be returning to hero work?"_

 _Ground Zero: She's fine I guess. I don't know when she's coming back to work._

 _Reporter: But she is returning to hero work?_

 _Ground Zero: I guess. She can do whatever the **** she wants."_

Kirishima chuckled. Every interview that Bakugo gave was rife with bleeps and asterisks. It was part of his persona and his fans always seemed to like that about him. Little did the fans know, Bakugo was the same way after the costume came off too. Something about that fact made the red-head believe that if the fans knew that, their opinion of him may change.

" _Reporter: We understand that her relationship with famous pro hero Deku has ended as well. Do you have any comments on that?_

 _Ground Zero: Why the **** would I have a comment on that?_

 _Reporter: Being her partner of course. I am sure that a serious injury and breakup would strain any working relationship, especially in an occupation as stressful as heroism._

 _Ground Zero: That's such bull****. Uravity and I aren't even partners and I've said that before. And who gives a **** that she and that chump broke up? It's not your business anyway._

 _Reporter: There has been some speculation that you and Uravity are close and some of the footage from the Keihin incident seems to back that narrative. Do you have any comments regarding the rumor?_

 _Ground Zero: What rumor would that be?_

 _Reporter: That you and Uravity are possibly involved._

 _Ground Zero: This ****ing interview is over."_

Kirishima was so engrossed in reading that he almost didn't notice Mina walking up behind him, "What are you doing over here? You're so quiet."

The red-head quickly locked his phone and shoved it in his pocket, "Oh, nothing important."

Mina stretched her arms over her head as she slowly made her way around the sofa to plop down beside him, "That about sums you up."

Kirishima scoffed and rolled his eyes, "You're feeling snarky today."

"When am I not?" She replied with a quirked eyebrow and elbowed him, "I'm just worried about Uraraka."

"Why?" Kirishima shifted in his seat and glanced at her, "She seems like she's doing great."

Mina shrugged before leaning her shoulder against his, "You know how she is. I'm worried she's trying to move on too fast."

Kirishima grunted and lightly shouldered her, "I think she started moving on a while ago, Mina. She's just finally letting it show now that she's single."

"You say that because you're a dude," Mina nudged him back. "Guys always move on super fast."

Kirishima quirked an eyebrow and gave her a mischievous side-eye, "So you're suddenly a relationship expert, huh?"

"I'm a woman expert," Mina corrected as she caught his glance, "And an Uraraka expert. We've been best friends for years. I know her."

"You lived hours away from her for years, Mina. You've only had her around for the last few months. And she's been dating someone for three years. How do you know how quickly she'd move on?" Kirishima knew he was pressing Mina's buttons again and it almost always ended in a spat between them but he couldn't help himself these days. "Are you still hoping they'll get back together?"

"Sometimes yes," Mina heaved a heavy sigh, "But the more time that goes on, I'm kinda changing my tune." She looked around the room at the packed boxes and a somewhat sad look crossed her face, "It's like the end of an era. If Deku and Uraraka couldn't make it, who can? I really believed in their love. Watching it fall apart was kind of a shock." She rubbed her arm a bit and softly shook her head, "I guess I'm just disappointed. Maybe there is no such thing as 'the one,' you know?"

Kirishima was a little surprised. Mina didn't often share her inner troubles so he was disarmed by her omissions. He turned his head to look at her completely, "You could be right but where's the fun in that? Love is about taking the leap of faith, right? Uraraka took the leap with Deku and she got hurt," He turned his head to nod at the boxes, "But she's pulling herself up by her bootstraps and moving on. If anyone is capable of finding true love, it's Uraraka. She seems like the girl that is willing to take the leap again and again until she lands in the right place." Kirishima leaned his shoulder harder against Mina's and turned his face back to hers, "And when you're ready, you should too. Nobody should give up on true love."

The girl beside him didn't meet his eyes but she leaned into him, her mind somewhere else, "Why can't I have her luck? Why can't I have guys galore pining over me?"

Kirishima felt his heart wrench in his chest as he looked down at the top of her head that was now resting on his shoulder, "You do, Mina. Trust me…" He looked away and licked his lips, "You do."

The door creaked open before either could say another word, "Hello?"

"Mirio!" Kirishima blurted out and fumbled to his feet, "We weren't expecting you for a few more hours!" He was thankful to see the blonde man ducking into the apartment to spare him the awkward conversation following his last words to the pinkette still sitting on the sofa.

"Yeah!" Mirio grinned widely at Kirishima's enthusiasm, "Eri has midterms coming up so she cancelled on me this morning. I figured I'd show up a bit early and surprise Uraraka." He glanced around the apartment, "Is she here?"

"Nope," Mina stood up from the couch and waved, "She went to grab lunch, actually."

Mirio frowned but a smile still tugged at his lips, "Bummer! She's going to see the box truck and know that I'm here."

Mina and Kirishima both laughed forcibly and glanced awkwardly at each other. Kirishima cleared his throat and shrugged, "Well I'm sure she'll be happy to see you anyway."

"I hope!" Mirio wandered to the kitchen and set down the keys to the truck before taking stock of the apartment, "Wow, it looks like you guys are mostly done."

"Sure are!" Mina piped up and scuttled to meet the blonde in the kitchen, "All we have to do is load up the truck and then we're all planning to go out for drinks. Want to join?"

Mirio skewered his mouth, "Well I have to drive the truck back tonight so I probably shouldn't drink."

"You can crash at my place," Kirishima offered quickly and somewhat regretted it after he remembered the mess he'd left there this morning. "I mean… If you don't need to be back by tonight." He mentally kicked himself for the offer. He'd been trying to overcome the lingering awkwardness with Mina and he'd spoken without thinking.

Mirio perked up and grinned widely, "Do you mind? I'd love to hang out with everyone tonight."

"Of course he doesn't mind," Mina waved her hand at the red-head and chuckled. "As long as you're alright with crashing on a couch. It's basically all he owns."

"Excuse me," Kirishima tut-tutted her with a smirk, "I'll have you know that I just purchased a top of the line entertainment center. If you're any good with an Xbox controller, then I have your dream set-up."

Mirio laughed aloud at their banter, "If you really don't mind me staying, then yes, I'd love to stick around. I haven't had a fun night off in a while."

"Perfect!" Mina clapped her hands excitedly. "I'm sure Uraraka will be thrilled!"

"That's the goal," Mirio replied with an airy tone and rested his hand on top of a stack of boxes, "I think we should really surprise Uraraka and start loading the truck for her. What do you say?"

"Oh…" Kirishima's half-grin fell from his lips and he glanced at Mina. "As much as I hate to say it… Yeah, we probably should."

"Ugh," Mina grunted and let her shoulders slump. "You're too sweet Mirio. Too sweet."

The trio stretched their achy limbs, two of them grumbling about the work ahead of them, and began the arduous process while praying that Uraraka would be back soon to aid them with her quirk.

"So will Bakugo be joining us as well?" Mirio asked as he propped open her front door.

"Bakugo?" Mina asked as she picked up a box, "Why would he be joining us?"

"Because-" Mirio began but saw Kirishima standing behind the pinkette and shaking his head hard. "Actually… nevermind?"

"Why would you even ask that?" Mina demanded and started a whirlwind of questions that neither man was able or willing to answer.

* * *

" _Be at Zips at 8."_

Bakugo glanced around the bar for the red-head that had sent him the text early that afternoon but found no crimson spikes among the patrons. Was this some sort of set-up or something?

"Bakugo!" A voice called from a few feet away, just over the medium volume music.

He glanced to his left and frowned. A realization was beginning to dawn on him as he saw the glint of glasses. "For fuck sake."

Iida Tenya had sprouted to well over six feet tall since high school and he marched straight toward the blonde, "Early as always, I see."

"Leave me the fuck alone, specs." Bakugo growled the words out without even looking at the old class representative.

Iida let the insult glaze him over and he frowned at the blonde, "I see you still result to using cruel nicknames to distract from your fragile ego."

Bakugo scoffed and snatched his glass of whiskey from where it sat on top of the bar, "At least I'm still doing hero work." He cast a judgmental eye toward the dark-haired man, "Unlike some."

"Consulting work is important work," Iida replied smoothly and he straightened his button down shirt, "And I still save the day from time to time."

"Tch," Bakugo smirked into his glass, "By the time you can even get your costume on the action is usually over."

Iida chuckled at his old classmate's reply and waved down the bartender, "Just an old fashioned for me."

Bakugo raised an eyebrow to the other man's drink order, "I didn't know hell froze over in the last three years."

"Didn't you hear?" Iida gave Bakugo a small but teasing smile, "Uraraka and Midoriya broke up. Hell must have frozen over."

Bakugo set his glass back down on the bar top with a little too much intensity and the glass made a loud knocking sound, "Like I give a shit."

"So you say," Iida shrugged and leaned his elbow on against the dark red wood of the bar, "But you're here so you must care a little." He glanced around the bar and smiled as he saw a few more familiar faces come through the door, "You're here supporting Uraraka after all."

Bakugo didn't get a chance to reply before his old classmate took his drink from the bartender and wandered away with a hurried farewell. So he was here to support Uraraka, huh? Figures Kirishima would rope him into this shit. He threw back the rest of his drink and turned back toward the bartender to signal for another.

While he waited for his next round, the blonde watched his old classmates steadily stream through the door and greet Iida. Some faces were ones he had only seen a handful of times since graduation. Sparkly french boy was one of them. Bakugo wasn't the least bit surprised to know that the guy hadn't changed one bit in three years. He hadn't aged well and Bakugo almost reveled in that fact.

Ojiro was one that Bakugo didn't really mind in high school. They never truly got to know each other but the guy could fight and Bakugo could respect that. Tail-man had taken a job with an agency across the country so the distance between them only grew as the years wore one. Bakugo knew next to nothing about the guy these days. The blonde was somewhat curious as to why Ojiro would be in town but a bigger part of him didn't care enough to ask.

Yaoyorozu was the next one he saw and he simply skipped over her entirely. He was not interested in visiting with her whatsoever. He didn't care for her in high school very much but once she got involved with half-and-half, he lost interest in her entirely. She was on his avoid radar and he liked it better that way. She'd always had a stick up her ass and Bakugo didn't care much for people that figuratively waddled.

"When were you planning to tell me that you made up with Uraraka?"

Bakugo hadn't even noticed the red-head beside him and he snapped his eyes to his right before scoffing, "I didn't make up with her."

Kirishima cast the blonde a sideways glance, "I know you were at her place."

"I wasn't," Bakugo swiveled in his bar stool to grab his new drink and turned his head away from Kirishima.

"Want to try that again?" Kirishima let his gaze rest on Uraraka entering the bar alongside Mina and Mirio. The brunette smiled widely when she recognized the faces of her former classmates crowded near the door.

"Fuck off," Bakugo kept his back to his friend and held his drink up to look at it as he swirled it in his palm.

Kirishima huffed a frustrated breath before angling his body toward the blonde and waving at the bartender, "You're not wearing your watch."

"So what?" The blonde felt a suspicious tingle travel up his spine. Somehow he knew where this was going.

"Did you lose it somewhere?" Kirishima continued trying to get the barkeep's attention, "Maybe… leave it at Uraraka's apartment?"

Realization dawned on Bakugo and he clenched his jaw. No wonder he hadn't been able to find it this morning. He'd considered turning his apartment upside down to find it but if he had, he would have been late to his interview. "Shut the-"

"I'll have a Saki bomb," Kirishima interrupted Bakugo as he ordered his drink, a sly smile pulling at his lips. He glanced down at the blonde beside him, "Make that two."

"Pass," Bakugo replied with a gravelly tone.

"Actually, make it four," Kirishima held up the number on his right hand and smiled foolishly at the man tending the bar. "My friend here has had a rough couple of weeks."

Bakugo opened his mouth to protest but Kirishima simply smacked a hand over Bakugo's mouth and grinned, "The first one is for not telling me that you made up with Uraraka. The second one is for lying when I asked." He pulled his hand away from the blonde's face and laughed boyishly, "And you're going to drink both. You owe me that much. Besides," The red-head shoved the blonde on the shoulder a bit, "You need to loosen up, dude."

"I'm not drinking those frat boy bitch drinks," Bakugo bit back and slapped away Kirishima's hand with more force than necessary. "All they do is fuck you up."

"That's the point," Kirishima shrugged and pulled out his wallet to start his tab, "You need to loosen up."

Bakugo narrowed his red eyes at his friend. What was Kirishima playing at here? "I'm fucking fine with what I have." He raised his glass and swirled the dark liquor in it.

Kirishima didn't waste a moment before he snatched the glass from Bakugo's hand and tossed it down his throat. "Now I owe you a drink." He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and gagged a little at the taste. "To make it up to you, I got you two."

Bakugo stood up abruptly and turned to leave, "I'm not doing this with you tonight."

"No way," Kirishima clapped his hand over the blonde's shoulder and forced him back down on the bar stool. "If you leave now, then you're down and out, Bakugo. You're staying here for your own good." The red-head smirked as he finally met Bakugo's deep scowl, "You can thank me later for being such a great ass friend."

"Trying to get me wasted is not something great ass friends do," Bakugo bit back with a malicious tone. "Especially not when the entire 1A class is here."

Kirishima waved a hand at the populated bar, "Eh, just ignore them as you normally do. You put up with us for three years, dude. You can do one more night." The red-head glanced over at the bartender to see the drinks being made, "Midoriya isn't here so there's a plus. But trust me, you're going to need to get a little drunk tonight. It might make you brave."

The blonde was entirely taken aback by Kirishima's frank replies, "The fuck is going on, Kirishima? Get to the point."

"Oh my…" Kirishima used his thumb and forefinger to rub his forehead before he rested his elbow on Bakugo's shoulder and turned them toward their former classmates gathered near the door, "You see that right there?" The red-head pointed at the group.

Bakugo followed Kirishima's gaze, "I see a bunch of idiots."

"Okay, you're on the right track," Kirishima's tone was not amused but he humored his friend, "But look a little closer, would you? Who doesn't fit in?"

A bright white smile snagged Bakugo's eye, "Million whatever-his-name-is."

"Exactly," Kirishima let his hand fall but he didn't take his elbow off the blonde's shoulder, "Million whatever-his-name-is has never really hung around before, right? Don't you think that's a bit convenient?"

Bakugo let his eyes stick to Mirio for a long moment as the other blonde man rested a hand on Uraraka's lower back. She turned to him and smiled as she laughed with her high school friends. "So what if he's got a thing for roundface? She'd never date another loser like that."

Kirishima let a loud but fake laugh pass his lips as he stood up straight, "You're so fucking dense, man. He's been around for weeks. He makes the trip to Tokyo every weekend to hang out with her." The red-head turned and smiled at the bartender as the saki bombs were delivered, "I bet you didn't know that he's been training with her to get her quirk back up to par."

Bakugo felt a jolt of something fresh in his gut. A new emotion that made him feel almost angry and he glared at the red-head, "What the fuck does that have to do with me being here tonight?"

"Mirio likes her," Kirishima slid the four drinks between them. "You like her too. He's going to make him move sometime and my money is on tonight. If you want to get her attention, then you should nut up." The red-head picked up one of the drinks and held it out to the blonde, "Here is a little bit of liquid courage, my friend. I think you'll need it."

"I don't drink like that, asshole," Bakugo pushed the drink away and glowered at his friend for his bluntness.

"Hey!" A cheerful voice drew the pair away from their petty argument, "I'm glad you guys are here!"

"Uraraka!" Kirishima exploded with enthusiasm, "The guest of honor has arrived!"

The brunette giggled shyly but gave the red-head a side-hug, "I see you managed to achieve the impossible," She held out a hand to indicate to the blonde.

"They said it couldn't be done," Kirishima bowed his head a bit, "But I stared fate in the face and said 'not today!'"

"Shut the fuck up, Kirishima," Bakugo glared at his idiot friend before turning a more tame gaze on the brunette.

Uraraka couldn't help the laughter bubbling from her lips, "I'm happy to see you too, Bakugo."

"Bakugo!" Mirio appeared from behind the brunette with a huge smile, "I guess we ended up getting drinks together after all!"

"Tch," Bakugo didn't even bother letting his gaze fall on the other blonde man, opting to ignore him in the only way he knew how.

"Thanks for letting me crash with you, Kirishima," Mirio nodded at the red-head, "Can I buy you a drink?"

Kirishima shook his head hard, "No, I'm good," He patted Bakugo on the back, "I'm tabbing up with this guy tonight."

Bakugo turned a furious glare on his friend, "I'm not buying you a single fucking drink, asshole."

"Well then!" Uraraka finally piped up again and waved at the pair of friends, "I should probably move along and say hi to everyone else." She turned toward Bakugo and smiled softly, "It's nice to see you here with all of us, Bakugo. Have fun, okay?"

"Yeah," Bakugo's reply was blunt but his scowl was subdued as he turned to see her again and he felt like she looked straight through him.

"I think we're going to play some pool in a bit and I hear you're the man to beat," Mirio nodded at the blonde seated at the bar.

Bakugo felt a fluff of pride in his chest, "I'll fucking destroy you." He finally let his gaze fall on Mirio and his eyes seemed to light up with competition and disdain.

"I haven't seen you play either," Uraraka smiled sweetly, "Will you come join when we get a table?"

"Yeah," Bakugo's features relaxed again as he let himself look at her again and he stared dumbly back at her.

Kirishima rubbed his hands together and grinned boyishly, "Oh, we're going to have to make this more interesting if you want to get the king of pool involved."

Bakugo tuned out the conversation a bit as he watched Uraraka smile and laugh with the red-head. His eyes glanced up to see Mirio laughing alongside her and his gut wrenched as he saw the man circle his arm around Uraraka's shoulders and nod toward the rest of her friends across the bar. God damn it… Kirishimia was right about this guy.

"I'll see you all in a bit?" Uraraka smiled at the pair.

"Count on it," Kirishima grinned and nodded his head at her, "Bakugo and I will come in and sweep all of you."

"I'm excited," Uraraka waved one last time before she let Mirio guide her away.

"Man, that guy is charming as shit," Kirishima finally let his attention return to their drinks resting on the bar top.

Bakugo immediately gave the red-head a vicious glare, "You're letting that pretty boy crash at your place?"

"It was a total slip of the tongue," Kirishima felt the sting in Bakugo's tone. "I honestly didn't think he'd accept."

"Well he did, asshat!" Bakugo snatched one of the saki bombs and growled, "Some fucking friend you are."

"That's why I'm buying the drinks tonight," Kirishima felt guilty as he saw Bakugo's jaw tense. "That's my fuck up."

Bakugo glanced down at the saki bomb and disregarded the stupid tradition that came with them before he put the cup to his lips.

Kirishima grabbed one of the drinks for himself and tried to swallow his pride for the sake of his friend. However there was a win in this situation for them both. Not only would he finally be able to help Bakugo in the way he'd been hoping to for months now but he'd also get to hustle the shit out of Mirio and their classmates.

"Fuck you, Kirishima."

The red-head nodded apologetically, hiding his smirk in his glass, before the pair threw back the saki bombs and reached for seconds. Tonight was Bakugo's chance and Kirishima wasn't about to let the blonde blow it.

* * *

 **AHHHH GUYS! I am so excited to write chapter 24 now lmaoooo**

 **First, let me give a HUGE shoutout to Chocolatteee for creating the AMAZING cover art for this fic! She's an amazing artist and you really need to go and check out her other work. You can find her on twitter at chococoly. Be sure to drop a like on her work while you're there!**

 **Also, if you left a review on chapter 22, please head over to my profile page here on FFN! I respond to every review there and I try and make it personalized and fun.**

 **I hope you all are as excited as me for chapter 24 hehehe... And I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Mirio is such an interesting character to write and I wanted to go a non-traditional route when it came to _jealous_ Bakugo. I'm really psyched with the direction this is going and I hope you guys feel the same way. As always, I love each and every one of you and I will see you again in seven days for Fanfiction Friday! Have a wonderful week and an even better weekend! **

**XOXOXO**


	24. Chapter 24

"Nuh uh!" Mina half-shouted over Uraraka as the server glanced between the two women. "I'm getting the next round. And all the rounds after that, okay?"

"Mina!" Uraraka shook her head, "You guys helped me move all that stuff the last few days so buying drinks is the least I can do."

"I said no," Mina shot back and shoved her credit card at the server, "Close her tab please."

The brunette smiled despite her dismay, "Mina please, let me buy tonight."

The pinkette tossed her friend a warning look, "Argue all you want but I am way more stubborn than you, missy." She continued to hold the card out to the waitress that had yet to take it.

"How about I just buy the next round," The man standing beside Uraraka smiled at the women before pulling out his wallet. "That way you don't have to worry about it."

Mina smirked at the blonde man before she withdrew her card from the waitress's reach, "Deal."

"Wha-" Uraraka glanced to her right with a slight slackjaw, "Mirio, you really don't have to."

"I insist," He smiled at her before handing his debit card to the waitress and ordering himself a beer.

"You're quite the gentleman," Iida piped up from where he stood at the circular bar table. "A good quality."

Mirio shrugged as the two women began their orders, "It's nothing, really. I heard that you've been consulting with Tokyo PD. Do you like it?"

"There's no work more important," Iida nodded once, "And it helps keep relationships between agencies and the department on good ground."

"Don't you miss hero work?" Mirio asked before he tossed a quick smile Uraraka's way when she finished ordering and rejoined the conversation.

"Sometimes," Iida leaned an elbow on the tabletop and pushed his glasses up his nose a bit, "But I still get to suit up on the rare occasion. It's a better fit for me. I was never really the kind of guy that savored the spotlight."

"You're doing a great job from what I can see," Mirio leaned over the table a bit and smiled warmly.

Iida chuckled at the compliment but decided to move off the topic, "I'm sure my job is easy compared to teaching at UA. How is our alma mater doing anyway?"

"Wonderful!" Mirio couldn't help but beam at the subject, "I have so much fun and who can complain when you're teaching such talented students?"

"UA surely does recruit the best," Iida reached for his half-empty glass, "You're teaching third years right?"

Mirio nodded with a quirky grin, "Until the end of the year. They're going to give me a first year class next year but it makes sense. It would be a conflict of interest for me to teach Eri."

"Is she performing well?" Yaoyorozu cut in at a time she felt was appropriate from her spot on the other side of Uraraka. "I know that the sports festival is coming up soon and something tells me it will be a good year."

Mirio smiled softly at the thought of the young girl, "She's a top student this semester. I couldn't be more proud."

"So you have her staying in the dorms?" The black-haired woman raised her eyebrows as she took a sip from her manhattan.

Mirio nodded back at her, "I thought she would have an easier time making friends that way but I do miss having her at home sometimes." He ran a hand through his blonde hair and laughed with a hint of embarrassment.

"Aw," Mina cooed at him from across the table, "You're such a dad."

Uraraka giggled at her friend, "Mirio was telling me earlier today that the two year anniversary mark is coming up."

"Sure is!" Mirio let his hand drop back to his side and chuckled, "I'm still trying to figure out what to get her." He glanced down at the brunette, "Maybe you could help me with that. I have no idea what a teenage girl would want these days."

Uraraka blushed a little bit but before she could reply, Iida piped up from his place, "I can't say I was particularly surprised that you adopted her." He took a quick sip from his drink, "Has it been difficult?"

"Every kid deserves a good home," Mirio shrugged before glancing back at the brunette beside him, "I didn't think I'd get approved but thankfully, UA backed me up on it. They even gave me my job that same day. I guess some things are more important than being a big shot hero."

"They wrote him a glowing letter of recommendation to the adoption board," Uraraka turned her face toward the others gathered around the table. "A year later, he was suddenly a dad!"

"Ugh," Mina rolled her head forward as she rested her forearms on the tabletop, "That is too damn cute, Mirio."

A loud crash with glass shattering broke the conversation as everyone gathered around the table looked toward the bar to see what had happened. "Those idiots," Mina grumbled as they saw Kaminari and Sero helping the waitress back to her feet and staring at the mess of broken glass on the floor.

"Those were our drinks, right?" Yaoyorozu stood up on her tiptoes to try and see through the crowd.

"Yeah, I think so. I'll go help," Iida slid his now empty glass to the center of the table before turning to leave with a disgruntled look on his face.

"I'll come along," Mirio nodded toward the dark-haired man before tossing Uraraka one last half-smile. "I'll be back in a few."

The women watched as they departed but Mina was the first to speak, "I think I'm in love with him."

Yaoyorozu and Uraraka giggled at her forlorn tone as they watched after Mirio.

"I'm so not kidding about that," Mina turned to stare at the women across the cocktail table, "He's like... a fifty out of ten."

Yaoyorozu shrugged as she finished off her Manhattan, "He's not really my type, I guess."

"You're married," Mina replied with a roll of her eyes. "You don't know how rough it is out there." She rested her chin in an open palm and leaned over the table, "But yeah, you're right. He's definitely not your type. You've been with captain serious for so many years that I don't think there's another type out there for you."

Uraraka sputtered with laughter as she pictured Todoroki's stoic face. The two had gotten married only six months after graduation and as far as the brunette could tell, it was a good match.

"He seems like he's into you," Yaoyorozu disregarded Mina's teasing comment and glanced at the brown-haired girl beside her.

"I don't know about that," Uraraka blushed at the black-haired girl's comment.

"I don't know about that," Mina mimicked her with a playful tone, "He's super into you, dummy!"

The brunette licked her lips and flushed, "He's been helping me out a lot so we've gotten to be pretty good friends but…" She let her sentence trail away as she began searching the faces around the bar.

Mina quirked an eyebrow at her freshly single friend, "I get it. You don't want to leap into another relationship."

"It's not that," Uraraka replied smoothly as she finally found the face she was looking for. He was berating Kirishima as the red-head cackled and narrowly avoided a shove. "I'm just not sure he's my type either."

Yaoyorozu set down her empty glass and shrugged before she captured Uraraka's gaze, "You guys look good together. It probably wouldn't hurt to just see where it goes, right?"

"I agree," Mina replied and tapped her finger against her chin, "You get to date around now so why not start with a fifty out of ten?"

"Alright," Uraraka breathed out an uneasy sigh, "I think that's enough boy talk for tonight, don't you think?"

Mina could sense her friend's discomfort and turned toward the bar, "Well I don't know about you ladies, but I'm thirsty."

"Same here," Yaoyorozu fiddled with the bottom of her empty glass.

"Let's just pick up our drinks from the bar so buzz brain doesn't screw it up again," The pinkette tossed a playful nod toward Kaminari.

Uraraka laughed with her friends but didn't follow, "I'll catch up with you guys in a bit. I want to go visit with the others for a little while."

Mina followed Uraraka's gaze as the brunette turned toward a red-head and a blonde, "Alright, do you want me to bring you your drink?"

"Just hang onto it for a few minutes, okay?" Uraraka tossed the pinkette a smile, "I'll be back soon."

Mina gave her a hard look but her tone was sing-song, "Yeah sure, whatever. Don't worry about it." She glanced back at Bakugo, "Tell the idiots that I say they suck."

Uraraka giggled as the trio split ways. She found Mirio helping Kaminari clean himself off and she was thankful for a moment to herself before she turned back toward Kirishima and Bakugo. She was happy to see the blonde there and she wanted to make sure he felt included. She could spare a few minutes of her time to hang out with him.

* * *

"You boys ready for another?" The waitress held up her notepad and eyed the trio over her red-rimmed glasses.

"How about a pitcher?" Kirishima was definitely tipsy as he glanced between himself, Bakugo and Tokoyami.

Neither of the other men replied as they sat on the barstools at a cocktail table. Bakugo didn't even bother looking up from the phone in his hand.

"So…?" The waitress seemed slightly annoyed as she waited.

Kirishima glanced between the other men once more before sighing and nodding his head, "Yeah, we'll take a pitcher. Cheap stuff. This asshole is going to put me in the poor house if he orders any more of that bougie shit." He went to elbow Bakugo but the blonde avoided it.

The waitress barely acknowledged the request before she strode away with a huff but that didn't deter Tokoyami's subtle glance at her.

"She's cute, huh?" Kirishima nudged the shadow hero with his elbow. "I'm digging her naughty librarian look too."

The look on Tokoyami's face gave away how horrified he felt about Kirishima's jab, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Speaking of checking chicks out," Kirishima turned toward his best friend and gave him a slanted grin. "Are you just going to sit and stare all night?"

Bakugo's attention snapped away from his phone screen to glare at the red-head, "You're drunk."

"So are you," Kirishima waved his hand at the blonde.

Bakugo narrowed his eyes at the red-head and scowled, "I'm fine." He knew it was a lie but he was satisfied with how his tone sounded. He wasn't drunk but he was definitely getting closer to it.

"Don't avoid the question, Bakugo." The red-head glanced across the bar where he saw Mina and Yaoyorozu pushing their way to the bar. He glanced around the same area and didn't find the object of his teasing. "So... Are you just biding your time or have you resigned to Mirio's nice-guy superiority?"

"I haven't resigned to shit," Bakugo growled and smacked his phone down on the cocktail table. "Mirio is just a blonde Deku."

Tokoyami glanced warily between Bakugo and Kirishima as their conversation moved toward women and he was mildly uncomfortable. It was one thing to see Bakugo at a class reunion at all but another thing entirely to see him being teased about a girl. He tried to follow Kirishima's gaze as subtly as possible but only found Mina and he felt that he could say definitively that they weren't talking about the pinkette.

"I'll grant you that one," Kirishima smiled widely as the waitress dropped off the pitcher of beer and some freshly chilled glasses. "But dude, we've been here for two hours and all you've said to her is 'yeah.' You have to get your hat in the ring."

"Do you ever shut the hell up?" Bakugo grit his teeth and crossed his arms on top of the table. "I don't need your fucking advice on how to-"

"Hey!"

All three of the men turned their attention to the formerly empty spot beside Bakugo, but Kirishima was the first one to respond. "Uraraka! We were just talking about you!"

"Really?" She smiled as she wiggled herself into the tall bar stool, "Good things, I hope!"

Bakugo turned a heated glare on the red-head for his opening line but relaxed when Uraraka hadn't asked him to clarify.

"You say that like there would ever be a bad thing to say," Kirishima reached for their pitcher, "Want a beer?"

She frowned a little at the pitcher and drummed her fingers on the tabletop, "I don't really drink beer. Is it any good?"

"He got the cheap shit," Bakugo replied before Kirishima could get a word in. He reached over to snag the pitcher away from the red-head and pour a glass, "Try it for yourself."

Uraraka watched as he pushed the half-full glass toward her and she reluctantly tried it. Thankfully, she was already a bit tipsy so it didn't have the sour taste she usually associated with beer. "It's alright, I guess."

"It's cheap," Bakugo shrugged as he poured himself one, "Keep that glass. Kirishima can go get himself another one to pay for being such a dick all the time."

Kirishima feigned hurt but he was glad to see Bakugo shooing him away, "Says the guy that is drinking for free tonight," He turned toward the third and somewhat forgotten man, "Come on, Tokoyami. Let's go get our own cheap beer."

The red-head clasped Tokoyami on the shoulder and dragged him toward the bar, tossing a goofy grin over his shoulder at Bakugo. Much to his disappointment, the blonde didn't catch it but he let it go because his friend's attention was on someone else.

"So how did your interview go?" Uraraka took another drink from the beer and somewhat gagged it down her throat.

The blonde sniffed as he recalled the way his interview this morning had ended, "It was fine."

"You're chatty," Uraraka smiled a little and played with the rim of her beer glass.

Bakugo took a drink and turned a bored gaze on her, "And you're drinking a beer. We're both doing things we don't normally do, roundface."

Uraraka giggled and tucked her hair behind her ears, "I'm so happy to see you here, Bakugo. I didn't think you were going to come."

"Tch," Bakugo clicked his tongue and turned his gaze toward the bar, "Kirishima fucking tricked me into it."

"So you would have skipped it?" Uraraka tilted her head at him.

Bakugo inaudibly cleared his throat and brought his beer to his lips for a long sip before he finally turned his gaze on her again, this time with a much tamer expression, "I'm not that big of an asshole. I would have considered it."

He watched her as she turned her face away and covered her mouth with a hand, almost like she was covering a blush or a laugh. His face was relaxed but his eyes showed how serious he was.

"Bakugo…" His name passed her lips, barely audible over the bar's music, "I am so happy you're here tonight." She took a breath before turning to look at him, her cheeks flushed pink.

He searched her face for a moment and smirked, "You're drunk."

Her jaw dropped a little as she processed his tease, "Wha-" She shook her head, "I am not!"

"How many drinks has the pink demon poured down your throat this time, roundface?" He lifted his glass to his lips to try and hide his sly smile.

Uraraka flushed a deeper shade of pink, "Okay, I've had a few, but I'm definitely not drunk."

"That's what they all say," Bakugo raised his eyebrows at her.

"And I'm not a liar," Uraraka giggled but it had a bit of a tipsy ring to it.

Bakugo reached for the pitcher to top off both glasses, "Well it's your night, roundface. Get as drunk as you want." He slowly poured hers and nodded at it. "But don't go too hard or I'll have to cut you off."

"Thanks Bakugo," Uraraka smiled sweetly at him but was completely unaware of the fact that it made his heart clench in his chest.

They both sipped and an awkward silence fell between them. Bakugo couldn't take his eyes off her cheeks that had faded to a soft pink. She looked good but he'd noticed that the moment she showed up. She always dressed with modest style but tonight it was driving him nuts. Skinny jeans, boot heels, and a tight crew neck crop top. Her hair was curled so it barely reached her shoulders and he could smell her perfume. He considered complimenting her but as he worked out how to phrase it in his mind, she spoke up to fill the silence.

"I'll be coming back to work in another week," She picked up her glass by the rim and swirled it.

He raised his eyebrows at her and leaned back on the bar stool, "Fucking hell. They're really making you max out the recovery period, huh?"

"Well," Uraraka mirrored him and leaned back as well, "It doesn't hurt to take a little extra time. I still have a lot to catch up on with my quirk."

Bakugo wanted to ask her about how she'd managed to miraculously recover but he kept his mouth shut, "Well I want to get back on the Viper case and I can't do it without you." He let his eyes meet her gaze with a renewed intensity.

"There you are!" Mirio stepped up to the table beside Bakugo and smiled widely at the brunette, "I was wondering where you'd disappeared to."

Uraraka held up her glass toward Bakugo, "I came to tell Bakugo that I want to see you guys play some pool!"

The blonde stared at her for a moment longer before he turned a foul glare on Mirio, "I've been waiting for you to man up and ask."

"You're on if you want to play right now," Mirio grinned at the blonde but there was a competitive sparkle in his eyes. "I won't be holding back, Ground Zero."

"Don't worry," Bakugo stood up from the bar stool to size up his opponent with a slightly puffy chest, "I take challenges seriously. And I'll remind you that you that you said that when you're eating my dust."

Mirio met Bakugo's intense glare and he slightly narrowed his eyes. He knew that Bakugo was a competitive guy but this felt personal in a way he couldn't describe. The sportsmanship he expected was not there so he was left to wonder why Bakugo seemed so… Bakugo about it. "You got somebody to impress or something?"

"Tch," Bakugo sneered and rolled his shoulders back before shoving his hands into his jean pockets, "No personal questions until the pool balls are racked." He glanced Mirio up and down, "Pretty boy."

Mirio felt the beginnings of a smile on his face, "I'll get us a table."

Bakugo leaned back on his heels a bit and took a deep breath. He'd been drinking heavier than normal tonight and he tried to focus his mind on sobering up a bit so he could properly school Mirio without any hiccups.

"Wow, you really don't like Mirio," Uraraka chuckled as she watched the other man depart for the pool tables in the corner of the bar.

Bakugo angled his body away as his sober train of thought was halted, "He's just another-" He stopped himself and swallowed the name on his lips for Uraraka's sake.

 _Deku._

"He's just fucking annoying," Bakugo slumped his shoulders forward a bit as he corrected himself.

Uraraka smiled at the blonde despite the fact that she couldn't see his face, "Well, I look forward to seeing you play." She stepped down from her bar stool and stumbled a bit as she tried to sober herself too, "I'll be rooting for you."

Bakugo's mouth went dry and he turned to look at her but found her walking away from him. When he looked where she was going, he found a bunch of the other women from school gathered nearby.

"You don't care if I start a betting pool, do you?" Kirishima lumbered in beside him and gave the blonde a toothy grin.

"I get fifty percent," Bakugo didn't bother taking his eyes off the brunette.

"I'll give you thirty," Kirishima rolled onto the balls of his feet in his drunkenness.

"Sixty."

"Forty-five."

"Seventy."

"Dude, what the hell?" Kirishima tossed the blonde a look, "The winnings will cover tonight's tab and whatever's left, we'll split dead even. Deal?"

Bakugo didn't bother with a reply before turning toward the bathroom. He strode across the bar and pushed the door open. By the time he'd relieved himself, he was feeling a little more clear-headed.

"I feel like I keep running into you," Mirio's voice called from across the somewhat busy men's room.

Bakugo stepped up to the sink to begin washing his hands and cast a sideways glance at the door where Mirio was standing, "When I finally rid myself of one Deku, another one takes his place."

Mirio strode across the tiled floor to lean his hip against the sink next to Bakugo's before crossing his arms and staring hard, "What's your problem, Bakugo?"

"Fuck off," Bakugo turned on the water and began rinsing his hands.

"I've heard you're like this all the time but I didn't really believe it," Mirio tilted his head to get a better look at Bakugo's face.

Bakugo glanced in the mirror at himself before reaching for the soap, "You heard right."

"No," Mirio leaned back a bit on his heel as he crossed one foot over the other, "There's more to this than pride."

Bakugo ignored the comment as she finished washing his hands and shut off the water.

"If this is about Uraraka-"

"I told you to fuck off," Bakugo knew he was being harsher than was called for but he blamed it on the alcohol in his system. The urge to pick a fight lingered in his mind and he continuously had to fend it off. He turned his body toward Mirio's and tried to push past him toward the door.

"If you're trying to make a pass at Uraraka, then I can back off," Mirio shrugged his shoulders a bit but didn't move out of the other blonde's way.

Bakugo felt a spark of anger in his gut and he turned a rude glare on the man blocking him, "Like I need you to back the fuck off. Uraraka makes her own damn decisions."

"Obviously," Mirio placed a hand on Bakugo's shoulder and moved back a step to put space between them, "But between us men? I can back off for now."

Bakugo pushed Mirio's hand away with a bitter snarl, "Between us men, I can fucking handle this on my own. I don't need you to 'back off.' Uraraka is tired of dating guys like you anyway."

"Fair enough," Mirio stuffed his hands in his pants pockets and shrugged, "May the best man win, Bakugo. I look forward to facing off with you in more ways than one."

Bakugo scoffed at his half-assed remark, "Just try not to cry." He pushed past the other blonde and pulled open the door without glancing back. Something about the encounter lit a fire within him that had been lackluster since the fight with Viper. He suddenly felt like he was on his game and when his eyes landed on a brunette sipping a cocktail at the bar, the significance of the prize only ignited it further.

* * *

Uraraka was feeling pretty drunk by the time the pool game was reaching its climax. She was leaning her butt against an unused pool table next to the game and her hand was having a hard time holding her drink still. She glanced around as Mirio chalked his pool stick and almost laughed aloud at the crowd that had formed around the game.

Everyone from class 1A was gathered around Mirio and Bakugo's game and almost as many had placed a bet with Kirishima. Many of the other strangers around the bar had come to watch as well, curious why the stakes for the game seemed so high. They had been pleasantly surprised to see a close and passionate game.

Uraraka was somehow not surprised that Mirio was astonishingly good at pool. Truthfully, the man seemed like he was good at everything. He makes his success seem so casual and he had been joking that somebody used a lucky quirk on him but Uraraka was one of the ones who knew better than that. He was simply a talented guy with great charm.

Charming…

Yes, Mirio is charming. He's friendly, mindful, and remarkably good looking. A good man, but Mina had put it best. He's a fifty out of ten.

So why wasn't she swooning over him like the other girls?

"I can't believe I'm seeing this with my own two eyes," Mina muttered beside her and leaned her shoulder against the brunette's.

Uraraka blinked a few times and re-centered her focus on the game to find Bakugo frowning hard at the score. He had two solid color balls remaining on the table while Mirio only had the 8 ball left.

"He's losing..." Uraraka muttered mostly to herself.

"I think the king of pool's reign may be coming to an end," Mina giggled darkly. "He's going to be so salty at work this week."

Uraraka elbowed her friend a little harder than she intended and she adjusted her butt on the edge of the pool table, "Bakugo could still pull out a win."

"Mirio's got him on the ropes," Mina elbowed her back.

Uraraka had tuned her out as the pinkette began to chat excitedly with their other former classmates nearby. She could feel how drunk she was as she tried to catch Bakugo's gaze but he seemed focused on the game at hand. "You got this…" The words came out as less than a whisper.

Almost as if he heard her, his eyes snapped up to meet hers. He was scowling but that didn't really put her off anymore. She simply smiled back and gave him a very subtle thumbs up from where her other hand hung at her side.

 _You can do it._

Bakugo reached for the chalk and began twisting it on the end of his pool stick before he glanced back at her and gave her a flash of a smirk. The entire crowd seemed to hold their breath as the blonde circled the table a few times, testing a few spots and observing the ball positions.

Uraraka took another sip from her cocktail, despite the fact that she already felt a little too drunk to continue. It had become mindless after a while. More like something to do with her hands as she watched the game unfold.

"How are you feeling?" Mirio was suddenly standing in her way and she blinked up at him.

"I'm fine," She muttered as her mouth searched for the straw to her drink.

Mirio came to stand on the other side of Uraraka and joined her in watching the fiery blonde consider his options, "Want to go grab some food after this? I don't think the bar food is going to do the job."

"Maybe," The brunette shrugged. "I'll see what Mina wants to do when it's over."

"I'll be over in another minute," Mirio tossed her a bright smile and she gave him a small one back through the straw between her lips.

"Hey pretty boy," Bakugo scoffed as he finally chose a spot to stand still in, "You're fucking off already, huh?"

Mirio shook his head and chuckled, "I'm just feeling confident."

Bakugo passed his cue from one hand to the other and smirked at his opponent, a challenge sparkling in his eye, "I wouldn't pop open the champagne just yet."

"What," Mirio gestured to the nearly finished game, "You're going to pot both of your balls and then sink the 8?"

"You think I won't?" Bakugo sneered in response.

"I think you can't," Mirio mirrored Uraraka and leaned up against the unused pool table, resting his cue against the table beside him.

Bakugo was completely expressionless as he leaned forward and lined up to the cue ball, "I'll do it in one move."

Mirio's cocky grin faltered a bit and he tilted his chin up to see their game better, "Let's see it then."

The entire crowd watched as the blonde pulled back and punched the white ball with the end of his pool stick. It lurched forward, crashing into a blue ball and sending it rolling toward a corner pot. The cue ball bounced back off the wall with good speed a few times before it worked its way across the table and crashed into his yellow ball.

"Oh my gosh," Mina stood upright and she pushed her way closer to the table. Uraraka considered following her but the journey seemed too difficult in her state so she simply watched as the yellow ball found its way to the 8 ball and they collided, sending each one to a separate corner of the table. Everyone held their breath as the two balls raced each other but the yellow won by a hair and both balls potted in proper order, awarding Bakugo the game.

"What!" Kaminari was the first one to vocalize his disbelief as he pulled hard on his hair.

"That was amazing!" Sero followed up quickly as a bunch of spectators rushed the table to see the potted balls for themselves.

"I can't believe it," Jirou voiced from her spot a few feet away from Uraraka, "I knew I should have bet on explody face."

"What did I tell you?" Kirishiima could be seen gloating as he clapped Bakugo on the shoulder victoriously, "Pay up!"

Uraraka simply set her drink down on the pool table she was half-sitting on and glanced to her side to see that Mirio had been dragged into the fray of people as well. She wanted to celebrate with everyone else but she wasn't feeling great.

The bar felt awfully stuffy at that moment and she rubbed her arm uncomfortably. She looked around at her friends and decided that she would slip away for a few minutes and get some fresh air. She left the drink where it sat and slowly made her way to the door of the bar, shoving it open haphazardly before stumbling into the cool night air.

After the door slammed shut behind her, she slowly wandered down the side of the building to lean against a cool brick wall far away from the door. The walk outside had made her dizzy and nauseous and a few minutes passed before she realized that she was now sitting on the sidewalk with her knees drawn up.

Perhaps she should have skipped that last cocktail…

She could tell that it was late in the night due to how few people walked by her but the temperature gave it away more. As she tried to focus on sobering up, the chill seemed to set into her bones. The thought crossed her mind to go back inside where her friends were but she couldn't bring herself to stand back up in her heels and run the risk of being sick. So she stayed put while her stomach settled and her mind began to clear up a bit.

It felt like a long time passed before she heard the door of the bar slam shut again and she thought maybe it could be one of her friends. However, after she heard laughter she didn't recognize, she figured they were strangers. "Ugh…" She groaned softly as the nauseous feeling began to go away.

"Fucking hell, roundface," A gravelly voice broke her away from her self-pity, "I knew I should have cut you off."

She didn't reply or even look up as she rubbed her forehead a bit. The only response she gave was a muffled "mm" of recognition. She was already feeling ashamed enough about how drunk she was and she didn't want to open her mouth and say something stupid for Bakugo to tease her about.

"Makes two of us," This time his voice was much quieter but she felt him sit down on the concrete beside her.

She tilted her head to see him from under her hand once he'd settled in, "Two of us?"

He didn't say anything in response but he shrugged, his gaze going out toward the emptying street. She noted that he looked a bit pale and flushed and his features were relatively relaxed as he rested the back of his head on the brick wall. She mused to herself for a moment at the spectacle. Bakugo was drunk and it made sense. He had been downing beers since the middle point of the pool game.

They sat in silence for a while as they both fought for sober minds in the chilly night but Bakugo suddenly jolted in place, "Shit, you're probably freezing your ass off. I know I am."

Uraraka couldn't deny that fact but she only giggled in response as she leaned her shoulder on his, "Mmhmm."

He stiffened when her head rested on the edge of his shoulder and she pressed her side into his arm. He stared stupidly down at the top of her head as she rested the fingers of her left hand over the top of his.

"Feel how cold my fingers are," She muttered and giggled as she pressed them to his skin.

"Fuck," He muttered when he felt it and he gently nudged her to sit upright. He leaned forward and began pulling off his black corduroy jacket. "Why the hell are you sitting out here then?"

"I felt sick," She muttered and she watched him, too drunk to put together why he was taking it off.

Bakugo finished pulling the jacket off before glancing at her, "What, your new boyfriend didn't want to help or something?" He bundled up the jacket in his hands before pushing it into her lap.

"Mirio and I aren't-" Her words were somewhat slurred as she glanced down at the jacket, "Hey, not fair. This is your jacket. I'll be fine, I don't need it."

"I run hot, roundface," He lifted his palm and a few tiny sparks ignited, "Just take the damn coat. I don't want it anyway."

She pouted for a moment before reluctantly tugging it over her shoulders, "Thank you."

"Don't fucking mention it," Bakugo replied famously and Uraraka could have chuckled at the predictable response.

She felt him settle back against the wall and she leaned against him again, "I'll help keep you warm too."

He didn't reply as he watched her press her shoulder into him and she rested her knees over his thigh. Her head was tilted down so he couldn't see her face, but he could tell how drunk she was by her behavior alone. Then again, he was also drunk and could by over-analyzing.

"Mirio and I aren't dating," Uraraka suddenly blurted out after a minute of silence.

The blonde was a bit put off by her insistent tone and he simply huffed indignantly, choosing not to reply. She was right to say that they weren't dating but he'd seen them together all night. They hardly separated from each other and wherever Uraraka was, Mirio was close by. That's why he noticed when the brunette was absent while Mirio was teased by all the former class 1A students about his loss.

"Seriously though," Uraraka's tone softened. "I don't have feelings like that for him. He's more like... A really close friend."

Ouch.

Bakugo almost laughed at her drunken thoughts on the million-dollar man. If only Mirio himself had been there to hear it. "Fucking good. I was beginning to question your taste in men."

He felt her moving and he turned his gaze downward to find her peeking up at him a bit and his chest tightened involuntarily when he found her eyes. She licked her lips quickly before she spoke with a small voice, "Who would be considered good taste?"

His chest felt like it emptied at her blatant question and all he could do was rip his eyes away from her. He turned his face away completely and clenched his jaw, "How the fuck would I know?" The answer he wanted to say was on the tip of his tongue but he bit it back.

A jab of a finger on his cheek startled him and he whipped his head back toward her, "The fuck?"

"You're drunk," She teased and shifted so that he could see her whole face.

"Tch," He scoffed and swatted her fingers away with his free hand, "I'm fucking fine."

"You're drunk," She repeated with a small bubble of laughter, her brown eyes lighting up with teasing humor.

"I said I'm fine," He frowned at her but it didn't reach the point of becoming a scowl. Her smile was making his heart skip and he tried to hide the fact that he was short on breath. "Speaking of being drunk, let's get you home, drunky."

Uraraka groaned as she felt him beginning to pull away, "I don't think I can walk in these shoes."

"Here we go again," He muttered as he stood up and looked down at the girl on the ground. "You'll be fine."

She sulked for another moment as she tried to guilt him into staying for a little while longer. After his stoic expression didn't falter, she huffed in annoyance before holding out her hand, "I need help."

"Fucking hell," Bakugo muttered with a note of amusement, "I forgot how fucking sassy you are when you've been drinking."

She thrust her hand at him a few more times with an expectant look, "Deal with it, Ground Zero. Be a hero and help me up, would you?"

He wanted to chuckle but held it in, opting to grab her hand instead and pull her to her feet. It was harder than he thought due to his own tipsiness but he managed to get her to stand up on her heels, "Still feeling sick?"

She paused and evaluated herself for a moment, "I think… I think I'm good."

"A walk will help you sober up," Bakugo shoved his chilled hands in the pockets of his jeans.

"What about everyone inside?" She teetered as she twirled herself back toward the door, "Shouldn't we say goodbye?"

Bakugo felt himself groan internally. He desperately wanted to leave after he schooled blonde romeo and this was a convenient way out. "I think they'll be fine."

"I'm gonna just say goodbye to Mina really quick, okay?" She tossed him a goofy smile. "I promise, I'll be right back."

There was little the blonde could do about her going back inside so he simply followed and opened the door for her. He hovered around the exit as he watched her make her way through the mess of people, stopping occasionally to hug a friend or ex-classmate.

"There you are," Kirishima worked his way toward the door. "Do you want your cut?"

Bakugo glanced down to see the small wad of cash in the red-head's hand. He reached out and snatched it before his eyes began searching for the brunette again.

"So…" Kirishima gave the blonde a sloven smile, "Are you gonna kiss her?"

Bakugo felt like an anvil had been dropped on him and he turned to glare furiously at his friend, searching for the worst insult his foggy mind could think of.

"Okay, okay," Kirishima held up his hands and cackled boyishly, "I won't pry."

Somehow Bakugo didn't believe him but he let it go and turned back toward the people inside. His eyes immediately found pretty boy and he felt a stir of dislike in his gut. He watched as Mirio intercepted Uraraka on her path to Mina and he fought the urge to go after her.

"Your last move was awesome, dude," Kirishima crossed his arm and laughed drunkenly. "That poor bastard is never going to live it down."

Bakugo ignored the comments as he watched Uraraka talking to Mirio. Their conversation was getting long and he felt himself clenching his fingers subconsciously.

"You should just go over there," Kirishima followed Bakugo's gaze. "What's the worst thing that could happen?"

"Tch," Bakugo sneered but took the advice, shuffling through the crowd in their direction. He'd been a great fucking guy all night long but now he was feeling tired of it. Mirio was getting in his way. He heard his idiot friend toss him a 'good luck' from behind him and it only riled him up further. He pushed through the people as the pair came into earshot, a scowl covering his face.

"We can still get something to eat," He could only hear the tail end of Mirio's sentence as he started to hear the conversation.

"I'm not feeling great so I think I'm just going to go," Uraraka's voice tickled his ears and he hung back for a moment, relishing in her response.

"Well let me walk you home," Mirio gave her a big smile. "Or I can call us a cab."

"Well…" Uraraka muttered and played nervously with her hands, glancing sideways as she tried to find a good response.

"I already offered," Bakugo cut in as he stepped behind Uraraka. He hooked a thumb in one of his belt loops and used his other hand to point at Mina, "I found Mina for you. Still want to say goodnight to her?"

"I do, yes," Uraraka turned her face to look at the blonde behind her, "I'll be right back, okay?" Her eyes seemed to communicate a silent thank you.

Bakugo simply nodded as the brunette shuffled off toward her friend. He watched after her for a few seconds before turning a flat gaze on Mirio. "Thanks for helping her move Deku's shit."

Mirio looked surprised by Bakugo's concession but a more serious look took over his features a moment later, "She's a great girl so it's nothing."

A tense silence fell over them as both men glanced back at the girl talking animatedly with the pinkette at the bar. "I didn't really peg you for being into girls like her," Mirio heaved a sigh, "But I have to admit, it makes sense to me now."

Bakugo scoffed at Mirio's omission, "Yeah, whatever."

"You're a great pool player," Mirio tried again, "I didn't see that last move coming."

"I'm great at everything," Bakugo shot back with a bite in his tone.

Mirio shuffled uncomfortably, "I'm sure you are. But that doesn't mean you can't lose from time to time." The connotation in his tone didn't escape Bakugo.

Bakugo tossed Mirio a sideways glance before he sneered, "What's with you Deku types and not knowing when to give up?"

"You're just a good opponent," Mirio offered Bakugo a hand to shake and a joking smile crossed his lips.

Bakugo looked at the outstretched hand for a long moment but ultimately decided to ignore it, "Tch."

Mirio didn't get a chance to get another word in before they noticed Uraraka leaving Mina behind and making her way closer to them. She tugged Bakugo's corduroy coat tighter around her shoulders before she beamed at the man who had given it to her.

Bakugo couldn't help the small smirk on his lips when he met her gaze. Everything about the situation felt… Perfect. She looked beautiful and he'd won the night. The fact that she was leaving with him instead of Mirio was simply icing on the cake. He felt a swell of pride in himself but her smile washed it away and replaced it with an emotion that was new and unknown.

"I'm ready to go now," She smiled warmly as she came to a stop in front of both men.

Bakugo nodded toward the door, indicating for her to go first. He watched as she turned toward Mirio and gave him a small smile, "I hope you had a good time tonight, Mirio."

"Hanging out with you is always a good time," Mirio reached out and pulled her into a small hug. "Get home safe, alright?" He glanced at Bakugo.

Uraraka chuckled airily as Mirio released her, "I will. Goodnight Mirio." She held up her hand to give him a small wave.

The other blonde smiled and nodded once before he turned and began walking back toward the pool tables. Uraraka watched after him for a moment before turning back toward Bakugo, "Want to go?"

"I'm dying to," Bakugo breathed and tilted his head toward the door, "Get to stepping, roundface."

Uraraka giggled as she hurried toward the door. A few other classmates hugged her and wished her a good night as they made their way out of the bar. Bakugo caught Kirishima's eye and wanted to punch the red-head for the look on his face. He felt like everyone there noticed them as they left together and he wasn't sure if he was supposed to feel awkward or proud of it. He simply kept his eyes glued to Uraraka's back as he followed behind her.

When they finally let the door fall shut behind them, Bakugo was reminded of the chilly air of the autumn night. He glanced either way to get his bearings before turning right and waiting for the brunette to go ahead.

When she never came, he turned and found her fiddling with her boot heels. He caught himself frowning as she groaned about them. He didn't say anything as she stood upright and pulled his jacket tighter. She dropped her chin and wrapped the collar over her mouth and she giggled.

His heart seemed to jump to his throat as he watched tipsy Uraraka fail at trying to hide the fact that she had sniffed it. It was an odd feeling to see her wearing his coat and smelling his cologne. This was much different than the last time he had walked her home. She was single now and seeing her like this stirred something in him that he could only label as exhilarating.

A less than appropriate line of thought began to worm it's way into his mind and he flushed, trying to force it away. He turned his back to her and looked at the sidewalk ahead, "Hurry the fuck up, roundface. It's only going to get colder."

"Impatient as ever!" Her laugh had a tipsy note to it but she practically skipped past him, "That's just so… Bakugo of you." She flashed him a smile over her shoulder as she tucked her hands into his coat pockets and jogged ahead of him, almost tripping in her tipsiness.

He smirked at her and reveled in the goofy look on her face, "You should know how making fun of me goes by now."

She shrugged as she fell into a slower walk, "I'm drunk. Cut me some slack, huh?"

"Never," He met her shining eyes and matched it with a challenging gaze. He finally began to follow her, his hands tucked into his pants pockets and a smile tugging on his lips. He was suddenly thankful for the alcohol that he'd consumed. Perhaps Kirishima had been right. It might make him brave.

* * *

 **Ahhh I'm so sorry for being a day late! We had someone call out of work yesterday so we all got super behind and had to stay late to get cars back to our customers. I didn't get home until almost 10 so I decided to delay the update so I could make sure it was good. Those of you that follow me on twitter got the update about what had happened so thank you to you guys for your understanding.**

 **As a consolation, I took some time this morning to add in about 6 more pages and make it a super duper long chapter. I really hope you all enjoyed it! I CAN'T WAIT FOR CHAPTER 25 GUYS. *squealing***

 **As usual, I will have all my review responses on my profile page so you should go check those out if you left a review on chapter 23!**

 **I love you all and I hope you have an amazing week! I promise I won't miss Fanfiction Friday again lol.**

 **XOXOXO**


	25. Chapter 25

Taking a drunk Uraraka home was like herding a cat. Bakugo himself was too drunk to really keep an eye on her the way he felt he should. She stopped frequently to point in window displays and when she wasn't babbling about things he didn't care about, she was running off in random directions, insisting it was the way they needed to go.

"Get back here," He called to her with a hint of annoyance in his tone as she began to be drawn away by a curious sign again. He was beginning to feel cold and he could see her apartment complex ahead so he was feeling impatient to get her home.

She glanced over her shoulder at him innocently, "But I want to look at-"

"No," He cut her off and waved her back toward the correct path, "We can look another time."

Uraraka pouted at him as she turned around and fell back into step beside him. She glanced up at him and found him staring ahead with a shielded expression. Her feet were killing her in her shoes as she tried to keep up with Bakugo's brisk pace but she only noticed it when she was walking quietly beside him. It finally dawned on her why he had been hurrying her along when she noticed him shift his hands in his jean pockets.

"I'm sorry," She blurted out and looked down at the sidewalk as they walked.

"Huh?" He jerked his head to the side to find her hiding her face. "The fuck are you talking about?"

She gave him a guilty look before nodding toward his bare arms. She fingered the bottom of the coat he had lent her before turning her gaze away in embarrassment. She'd let her drunk impulses get the better of her during their journey.

He glanced down to see the goosebumps on his skin and he shrugged, "It's nothing." He lifted his eyes to see her hiding her face again and he sighed softly, "Seriously, it's nothing."

"I feel bad," She muttered as she focused her gaze on her apartment building ahead. "Why don't you come in for a bit and warm up before you go home?"

"I'll be fine," Bakugo huffed despite how enticing that sounded. Truthfully, the cold wasn't the worst part of the journey. It was his drunkenness. He hated feeling like he didn't have control over his own body and he wanted nothing more than to sober up.

"I insist," She turned a small smile toward him, "Please, stay for a bit." She bumped her shoulder into him, "I don't really mind your company that much anyway."

He gulped as he steadied himself and tried to hide the dusting of pink on his cheeks, "I'll think about it."

"Well you don't have long to think," She could see the stairs to her apartment now and she skipped ahead with a playful giggle. "And if you want this coat back, you better hurry your drunk butt up!"

Her fingers found the railing and she used it to steady herself for a moment before playing it off as intentional and swinging herself onto the step. She tossed a goofy grin back at the blonde that was still a few feet away. A teasing laugh passed her lips as she began hurrying up the stairs, letting herself slip back into the drunken cheerfulness from before.

Bakugo waited until her back was turned to him to smirk at her dopey drunken state. He had to admit to himself that she was a fun drunk and it tickled a smile onto his lips. His heart tugged in his chest when her jovial laughter hit him and he caught a glimpse of her coy grin as she reached the second story.

He grabbed the railing of the first floor and took it one step at a time, reveling in the fact that it felt like a slow chase. Neither of them had anywhere to go but up but she still bolted ahead of him.

He slowly climbed and soon she was out of his sight, but he could hear her trying to get her key in her lock. She was giggling to herself and he could help the grin on his lips as he reached the second story and began up the third, glancing through the slants in the stairs for a glimpse of her above him.

The moment he could see the top of the stairs, all he could see was wisps of brown hair and a black shoe as they disappeared inside. Something in him sparked to life. An exhilaration and anticipation that he hadn't felt before. He found his pace quickening a bit as he pulled himself up the stairs and came up to her door.

"What's the password?" The door was cracked and a pair of brown eyes peered out mischievously.

Bakugo scoffed lightheartedly and glanced to his left to try and push away the slight blush that threatened his cheeks, "Could it be… Roundface?" He smirked and turned a glinting eye back on her.

"Nope!" She giggled but all he could see was her eyes. "I'll give you a hint if you want."

Bakugo sniffed at that but didn't reply, hoping she'd offer it without him having to ask and she obliged him.

"Who's your hero?" She narrowed her eyes playfully.

He almost chuckled at her cleverness, "I'm not saying that shit, roundface."

"Say it." Her eyes sparkled with a challenge, "I happen to really like this jacket and I might want to keep it."

Bakugo felt a flame of competition in his gut flare up and he finally let himself look at her again, a smirk on his lips, "Oh yeah?"

"It's warm," She blinked at him and he could only assume that she was smiling on the other side of the door, "And I think I look better in it than you."

Bakugo dropped his eyelids a bit and breathed humorously, "I'd be inclined to agree," He pressed a palm against the door, "But I'm still not going to let you have it."

"Password!" She giggled hard as she felt him push on the door hard and she tried to hold it closed. Her shoes didn't help her case and she couldn't deny the fact that Bakugo simply had more strength than she did.

"Password?" The word came out teasingly as he shoved harder on the door and it slowly began to slide open and Uraraka's laugh seemed to break down his tough guy act, "How about 'I'm coming in?'"

"Bakugo!" Uraraka smiled madly as she gave up on trying to push him out and she couldn't stop her roaring laughter when she released the door and he stumbled forward a bit. "You're not supposed to just force your way in!"

"Why not?" He asked pointedly as he steadied himself and used his elbow to push the door shut behind him.

She was still laughing a little as she pushed him jokingly on the shoulder, "You're supposed to say that I'm your hero and you'd pretty please like to come inside and warm up."

The blonde scoffed at her before shaking his head, "I think I just proved that I can be my own hero, roundface."

"Oh stop," Her cheeks were rosy now as she moved to her kitchen and turned on the light. "You cheated." She pressed one hand on her counter top before lifting up her feet one by one and she pulled her shoes off with her free hand. "Ah," She breathed contentedly as her feet finally stood flat on the floor of her kitchen.

Bakugo couldn't take his eyes off of her now. The single light from the kitchen cast long shadows in the room and he stared at her as she rolled on her heels. He couldn't see her face as the shadows covered it.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Uraraka's tone was curious now, replacing the humor in her voice.

He blinked and swallowed, suddenly aware of the fact that she'd seen him gawking at her silhouette. "Like what?" He cleared his throat when he realized his pitch was a little dry.

"You know what I mean," Uraraka's shoulders shrugged but he still couldn't make out her expression. He could hear the playful note in her voice, letting him know that she'd caught him.

He cleared his throat again and looked away, trying to focus his eyes on her refrigerator, "I wasn't looking at you like anything."

"Mhmm," Uraraka hummed as she tried to catch his eyes again but he was insistent, "Want some water or something?"

"I'm fine," Bakugo grunted as he tried to calm his nerves. This situation was making him uncomfortable in all the right ways. Something about being alone with her in the late hours of the night felt adult and enticing. He tried to cram down the shaky feeling in his chest but his tipsy mind wasn't having it.

"Well I'm going to have some," Uraraka popped open a cupboard and grabbed a cup before filling it at her sink. She took a long drink, watching the blonde beside her front door. She almost giggled into her glass as she analyzed him.

He shifted his weight from foot to foot and his hands couldn't be dug any deeper in his pants pockets. He had turned his face away from hers but she could still see his side profile and he seemed to be thinking pretty hard. He looked a bit like a stubborn teenage boy after a scolding and something about that made him so easy to tease.

"Why don't you like Mirio?"

The question caught him off guard and the blonde whipped his head back toward her, "What?"

"Why don't you like Mirio?" She asked again with a pointed tone and a shrug before taking a half-step back and letting the light illuminate her curious expression.

"What kind of fucking question is that?" Bakugo scowled at her and he rolled his shoulders forward a bit.

Uraraka took another sip of her water before she placed it down on her counter top, "It just seemed like you kind of had it out for him tonight."

Bakugo scoffed and rolled his head away from her, "He's just a chump."

"Hm," Uraraka nodded with a slight smirk, "Everyone else thought he was charming."

Bakugo didn't face her way but his eyes slid in her direction, "That doesn't surprise me."

"So you admit that he's charming," Uraraka slid a finger tip lazily over her counter.

"I admit he's a chump," Bakugo bit back and jerked his head toward her again before frowning. "Why the fuck do you even care what I think?"

Uraraka breathed and let a small smile creep onto her face, "I don't know, actually." She pulled her hand away from the counter to play with the hem of his jacket, "Call it mild curiosity."

Bakugo grunted with annoyance before he glanced around the apartment to fill the awkward silence with an activity. He searched for something new to say but she beat him to the punch.

"What exactly is a chump anyway?" Her tone was sing-song now.

He turned himself in a circle to look at her dead-on, "What the fuck do you think a chump is?"

She shrugged and giggled softly, "Why else would I be asking?"

Bakugo blinked at her for a moment before he sauntered toward the other side of the counter top, "Someone with no personality," He leaned an elbow on it so he could look across it and into her eyes, "Predictable. A pretty boy."

Uraraka raised her eyebrows teasingly, "So if I'm following what you're saying, a chump will always do what you think they will and they only have one character trait."

"Exactly," Bakugo tilted his head from side to side as he rested his other elbow on the surface, "They're boring and reasonable."

"So following your logic," Uraraka leaned over the other side of the counter and grinned knowingly, "The opposite of a chump would be… a crazy person?"

A long pause passed between them before the blonde scowled and stood upright, "Sure whatever."

"Bakugo," Uraraka giggled and rolled her head forward, "I'm just teasing you."

He glanced at her but his frown didn't disappear. His head was still muddy from the alcohol, despite it beginning to subside. He couldn't come up with a worthwhile response but that wasn't what bothered him. He felt like he'd taken a hit to the chest.

"I'm sorry," Uraraka's expression softened, "I guess that didn't come out right."

He cast a quick look toward the door and shuffled in place, "It's late."

The brunette felt guilty when she saw how sour his expression was, "I know but-"

"I should head out." He angled himself away from her so that she was looking at his side profile, "I still have a long way to go."

She huffed defeatedly, "Listen, Bakugo, I was only kidding. I know you're not a crazy person."

"Yeah," His reply was short and devoid of emotion.

She drummed her finger tips on her counter top for a moment and she skewed her mouth as she considered how to smooth this over, "Listen, when I come back to work, I'd like it if we partnered up more often." She tried to catch his gaze with a small smile, "I think you're a great hero and we work well together."

He didn't move but his eyes caught hers, "Kirishima is my partner."

"And I have one too," She replied quickly, "But I guess I'm just trying to say that I enjoy our time together."

The blonde mulled over that for a long moment. Her previous comment still lingered on his mind but he asked himself it was due to the alcohol in his system. She sounded genuine and that warmed him a little, "So you're finally admitting that you have to ride off the backs of my coat tails?"

"I admit no such thing," Uraraka's tone was forceful with a note of teasing, "But I am saying that it may be mutually beneficial."

Bakugo finally turned toward her again, "Beneficial to you. What do I get out of it?"

She gestured to herself, "I can help your media image."

"Tch," Bakugo almost laughed, "Like I need help with that. The media loves me."

She wagged a finger at him, "Don't get haughty on me, Mr. Explosion kill murder. Even the anti-heroes like you need a woman's touch from time to time."

Something about that comment made Bakugo's throat clam up. While he was slowly sobering up, he wasn't fully there. A string of questionably appropriate thoughts ran through his mind and he had to turn away from her again.

"Aw," Uraraka teased again, "Are you finally admitting that I'm right?"

"Fuck no," Bakugo bit back and tossed a scowl in her direction, "A 'woman's touch' doesn't exactly fit my image, roundface."

"Doesn't it?" She remarked with a grin. "A spunky gravity hero alongside the explosively impulsive type? Come on," She shrugged, "It's perfect."

"I'm already perfect," He began to work his way around toward the entrance to the kitchen, "And Kirishima does a damn good job."

She shrugged as she watched him circle his way into her kitchen, "I'm not saying permanently. I'm just saying we should team up every now and then."

"I still don't see how that benefits me," He replied smoothly as he rested his hip on the edge of the cheap granite.

Uraraka huffed and crossed her arms, "I just think it could be fun, alright?" She pouted at him for a moment, "I just liked working with you is all."

The blonde smirked at her confession and he felt a swell of arrogance, "Just admit you want to ride my coat tails, roundface."

She narrowed her eyes, "Just for that, I'm keeping this," She pulled on the ends of the jacket. "Besides, we both agreed it looked better on me."

Bakugo suddenly saw all of her as he remembered why he came inside in the first place. She looked smug as she held the coat over her torso. Their banter suddenly felt like more than banter and the feet between them felt like a dare. A game of a new kind and a competition he had yet to win.

"It's a cool jacket," She shrugged pompously with an air of provocation, "Don't you think?"

He let his eyes fall on her fingers as she pulled it tight across her stomach but he quickly met her gaze again after he caught himself, "I'm afraid I like that jacket."

She held his intense stare for a long moment before murmuring, "Well I'm keeping it."

He watched as her eyes flickered down a touch before meeting his again and he succumbed to the desires that his hazy mind had been whispering to him all night. He lunged forward, catching her hip in his right hand and the side of her head in his other. He relished the quiet gasp that escaped her lips before he kissed her.

The moment their lips met was incredible. She tasted like spring. Bittersweet but fresh, like new sprouts after a chilly rain. She matched his fervor perfectly, relaxing in his hold at first before kissing him back with an urgency that neither could hope to fulfill.

He groaned on her lips as her hands felt their way up his chest to grip the side of his face, pulling him hard so that their teeth brushed. She breathed hard out of her nose when his right hand left her waist in favor of her lower back, bringing her flush against him and his other hand dug into her curled hair.

She felt a part of herself release it's restrictions as he unintentionally grazed his teeth over her bottom lip. All guilt and doubt faded away in her mind and she could practically taste his desire. It felt like kissing a hellion. His lips had a bite to them and he pressed them headily against hers, tasting like salty bourbon.

Her right hand drifted to his lightly stubbled jaw and her other tangled into the hair above the back of his neck. She tried to angle herself for easier access and it abruptly broke their kiss, her hand forcing his head back accidentally. He lamented audibly before he tilted his head forward again and recaptured her lips. This time it felt more desperate as both of them gripped the other harder.

Unable to find the leverage both of them wanted, he pushed her two steps back without ending the lip lock. Her butt hit the edge of her kitchen counter before he pressed himself to her and her hands began to slowly wander down his neck to his chest, tracing over his collarbones.

The delicate touch of her fingers elicited a low growl and his head spun into a tailspin. He wanted more of her. More of her lips, more of her touch, more of her soft sighs on his lips. All control was lost on him as he leaned her away so he could move his hand from her back. He pulled his lips away for a brief moment, breathing hard as he hooked one hand under her left thigh and lifted her on top of her counter top.

She barely had a moment to giggle excitedly before he was on her again, He kissed her headily as both of his hands rested on the outer side of her thighs. He moved his head along with hers in rhythm with their fervent kissing as she fingered the edge of his t-shirt and his hands felt their way down her legs with an achingly slow pace. She gasped in surprise when his hands slid under her knees and pulled her hard into his chest, forcing her thighs apart around his torso.

All logic had left his brain as he could feel her hard exhales from her nose on his cheek and his hands found minds of their own. Her chest heaved against his and he could smell her flowery perfume mixed with the taste of cranberry vodka on her lips. It did nothing but make him feel more drunk as his hands began to slide back up her legs to her waist.

Her heart was pounding by the time his fingers found the top of her jeans and began working up the sides of her torso hidden inside the jacket. His palms were hot and she got traces of their callousness when he brushed the little break of bare skin below her crop top.

 _More._

She twisted the fingers of her right hand back into his hair, forcing his head to roll back a bit so she could fight for control of the kiss. Her other hand traveled to his right bicep and ran under the fabric of his t-shirt sleeve so she could grip his arm tightly.

He smirked against her lips as he quickly figured out what she was doing. He pulled against the grip on his hair, forcing himself back on top, before his hands gripped the edges of the jacket and began pulling it down her arms. A grunt of satisfaction fell into her mouth as she complied and began helping him take it off. It spilled around her as his hands found her hips again and he pulled her as close as he could, relishing the feeling.

"Ah," She huffed softly when his lips began to kiss down her jaw line, heading fast for her neck. She let her head roll back and her fingers gently rested on his arms. Her eyes fluttered as he left a wet line down her neck before his teeth gently grazed their way back up to her lips.

The kiss that followed was easily the most erotic one she'd ever had. It was lustful, messy, and all teeth. Her arms wound around his neck as she pulled him down into her but he caught himself on the edge of the counter with his hands before he could fall into her.

There was nothing she wanted more than him in that moment. She almost hated herself for not seeing it sooner. Their flirtation had become more than that and it had been that way for a while. A push and pull that only brought them closer together at an aching pace. But his kiss cracked open an untouched part of her that wanted so much…

 _More._

He felt her hands fall away from his neck and slide down his chest, coming teasingly close to something that made him groan into her and break the kiss to take a breath. Her fingers tickled the skin above his belt, finding their way underneath his shirt.

"Let's go in the other room," She murmured so quietly that he almost didn't catch it.

He blinked his eyes open and found her gaze. She stared at him with wide, lustful eyes and suddenly reality hit him. He barely recognized her. This wasn't the Uraraka he knew. Everything about this felt wrong despite how bad he wanted it. He just… couldn't go through with it.

He ripped himself away with every ounce of willpower he had and turned his back before running a hand over his red face. He took a shaky breath as he tried to calm his rattled nerves. He rested a hand on the counter top and leaned heavily on it, keeping a distance from her.

She blinked at him, dumbfounded at the sudden end. She licked her now sticky lips and watched his back as he seemed to privately battle with himself, "Did I do something wrong?"

He didn't respond for a long time, opting to stand in place to process what had just happened. He dragged a hand through his spikes as he fought for his composure. What the fuck could he possibly say now to explain this?

"I'm so sorry," Uraraka fumbled and dropped her face into her hands to try and hide her utter humiliation. "I didn't mean to-"

"Roundface," Bakugo's voice was deep, still heavy with lust.

She silenced herself and peeked out from her fingers to see that he was still standing with his back turned. She held her breath and waited for him to speak again, praying that he even would.

"We ca-" He started before stopping himself and letting his head drop a bit, "I can't. I can't do this with you right now."

The shame seemed to amplify ten-fold now as she processed his words. She swallowed thickly, trying to find something to say. She desperately wanted to run away right now but where could she go?

"I can't do this with you," Bakugo reiterated with a slightly more even tone, "I can't. I don't want to fuck this up."

She still didn't say a word as she tried to clear her fuzzy mind. His tone wasn't shameful nor was it angry. He sounded disappointed and she felt the same way. Something was off and maybe he was the first to realize it.

"Uraraka," He still kept his back to her as he leaned harder against the counter, "I don't want to be your rebound or your bed warmer. I want more than that."

She stared at his back for another moment as she realized the implication of his words.

 _More._

The ongoing theme of the night and the word seemed to replay in her head on an unending loop. Embarrassment crept up her face and she shook her head hard, "Bakugo I-"

"Goodnight," He muttered quickly before he rounded the counter and moved hastily toward her door. His eyes only glanced at her once but they were stoic and guarded. She didn't watch him leave but she heard the door shut loudly and his footsteps trailed away.

Then there was silence.

The first sob wasn't the most painful. It was the fourth and fifth that stole all the air from her lungs. She wiped globs of mascara out from under her eyes as she cried loudly on her kitchen counter.

When had she become so weak? Was she truly so lonely that even Bakugo would reject her? Was she desperate?

It was no secret to her that Bakugo had feelings for her. When he'd gifted her a copy of Pride and Prejudice during her hospital stay, she knew. He'd been nothing short of gentlemanly to her and he was his own way of kind to her. She'd grown to like that and she couldn't lie to herself that the feelings he had weren't recognized earlier on than that but denied.

Somehow, she'd always known about his feelings despite the fact that she couldn't explain how. But that only made the rejection that much more painful. She wasn't using him, was she?

Wait… was she?

The sobs wracked her again as she thought about the night as a whole. She'd clung to Mirio for the last few weeks as a form of curing her boredom. That much was obvious to her so if anyone was a rebound, it was him, right?

But Bakugo had pushed back on Mirio so fervently tonight like the other man was a genuine threat and Uraraka had let him. Was that a symptom?

Was she even over Deku?

She cried for what felt like hours and the loneliness seemed to snap her in two. Pain had been the only feeling she'd known for months now and something about Bakugo being here had taken that away. She'd been able to relax and have fun. She'd laughed with him without feeling she was having to fake it and the way he looked at her was heartbreaking.

" _I want more than that."_

 _More. More. More._

His lips were everything she thought they'd be. Forceful, hungry, and fun. Kissing him had been like a dance with a dragon and she wanted more of that.

 _More. More. More._

She wanted more than that. More than his lips. More than his scowls. More than his feisty remarks. She wanted all of him.

She hugged herself as the tears finally dried up into crusty streaks and she felt herself stumble into her bedroom. She flopped down on the mattress without a bed frame and touched her lips with a trembling finger.

 _More._

She'd get more and this time she'd mean it.

* * *

 **:)**

 **Holy guac. That was insanely hard to write lmao. Now you know why this chapter is significantly shorter but I HAVE FED YOU, RIGHT?**

 **Ahhh there was so much more I wanted to add to this chapter but I had a super crazy week at work so I didn't have as much time this week to work on this. Next week I'm hoping to be back to my normal schedule :)**

 **As always, please check my profile page for responses to reviews on Chapter 24! I love you all and I hope you have a wonderful week! Happy Fanfiction Friday!**

 **XOXO**


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